Former president Rodrigo Duterte attends an inquiry on his administration’s war on drugs at the House of Representatives on Nov. 13, 2024. (Photo courtesy of House of Representatives Press and Public Affairs Bureau via PNA)
MANILA, Philippines — A Palace official told the public to wish arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte a happy birthday on Friday as he should be joyful on his special day.
At a briefing on Tuesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked whether President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has a message for Duterte for his 80th birthday on March 28.
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“Ako po may mensahe: Kantahan natin ng ‘Happy Birthday.’ ‘Yun lang po,” Castro said, noting Marcos has no message yet for Duterte.
(I have a message: Let’s sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ That’s all.)
“Kasi birthday po ‘yun eh, kailangan po maging maligaya ang taong nagbi-birthday at wini-wish po natin siya nang happy birthday,” she added.
(Because it’s a birthday, the person celebrating should be joyful, and we wish them a happy birthday.)
Rodrigo Duterte birthday on Friday is expected to gather the other members of his family.
Duterte is currently detained in a facility in The Hague in The Netherlands. He is facing a case at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.
The drug war claimed at least 6,000 lives, according to official government data.
However, human rights watchdogs estimated the death toll from the drug war to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa again backpedaled on his previous position challenging the legality of the arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Dela Rosa, the former Philippine National Police chief who enforced Duterte’s bloody crackdown on drugs, conceded on Saturday that the arrest of his former boss on March 11 was legally sound.