Tension after Duterte arrest: Kin should’ve been more calm, says Palace

International Criminal Court (L) and Former PResident Rodrigo Duterte (ICC and official Facebook page of Rody Duterte)

MANILA, Philippines — The behavior of the family of former President Rodrigo Duterte during his arrest was normal, said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Friday.

However, Castro said the situation could have been handled more smoothly if they had remained calm.

At a Palace briefing, Castro was asked to comment on the chaos that transpired at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City, where Duterte was held for several hours before being flown to the International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.

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“Normal lang na sumigaw at magmura, pamilya po ‘yun eh, hindi po natin mawawala na ganun ang maging damdamin,” she responded.

(Shouting and cursing are normal—that’s family. We can’t take away those emotions.)

Castro also reiterated that Duterte himself is aware that he has a pending case before the ICC.

“Normal lang ang magkaroon ng ganung klaseng damdamin. Pero siguro dapat malaman din po nating lahat kung hanggang saan ‘yung hangganan, kung hanggang kailan pwedeng mag-react sa kapulisan. Kung ginagawa ang tama at nandodoon ang mga dokumento, tingin ko dapat sumunod din tayo sa batas. Iba po kasi ang sitwasyon na hinuli ka pero wala kang ginawa, hindi ka caught in the act, or walang warrant of arrest,” she said.

(It’s normal to have those kinds of emotions. But I think we should all understand the limits—how far and how long one can react to the authorities. If the proper procedures are followed and the necessary documents are in place, I believe we should comply with the law. It’s a different situation if you’re arrested without having done anything wrong, if you’re not caught in the act, or if there’s no warrant of arrest.)

“Siguro mas maganda po kung naging kalmado rin ang mga kamag-anak ni dating Pangulong Duterte,” Castro added.

(Perhaps it would have been better if former President Duterte’s relatives had also remained calm.)

Honeylet Avanceña, Duterte’s common-law wife, was caught on video allegedly striking a police officer with a cellphone amid tension between the Duterte camp and police.

Avanceña was with Duterte as he was held in Villamor Air Base.

Their daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, was also heard in a video she posted online, cursing at Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III.