Former President Rodrigo Duterte has appeared as the guest of honor on Sunday, 9 March 2025, at the Pasasalamat Kay PRRD With OFWs event organized by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Held at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, the gathering drew a large crowd of Filipino migrant workers from across the territory and nearby countries such as Japan. Senator Robinhood Padilla, who heads the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, welcomed Duterte onstage.
“I don’t know if you still believe in me, but I’m looking at you, and I know that we should meet someday in our homeland. However, given our current situation, we really have to go to other countries to earn a living,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English. He acknowledged the difficulties faced by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), while hinting that his own recent travel may have been influenced by current political developments.
He also commented on recent reports of the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant against him, saying, "I have so many cases piling up. Honestly, from what I hear, there’s a warrant for me at the ICC or something. They’ve been after me for a long time, those sons of bitches.”
Based on government data, at least 7,000 people were killed under Duterte’s drug war during his administration; however, local and international human rights groups disagree over the figures, stressing that the actual number of victims could be as high as 30,000.
Duterte’s visit to Hong Kong followed his unannounced departure from the Philippines on Friday, 7 March. According to airport sources, he left via Cathay Pacific flight CX912 from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, accompanied by former First Lady Honeylet Avanceña, their daughter Kitty, and several former government officials, including Salvador Medialdea and Alex Paul Monteagudo.
Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV have suggested that Duterte might be evading a potential arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, no official statement has been released regarding the purpose of his trip.
“I can feel the sadness of being away from your families. I understand that because I went through a similar experience. For the past three years, I was working abroad and undergoing training for my connections in the legal profession. So, to all Overseas Filipino Workers, I salute you,” he added.