Cebu leg of signature drive to seek Duterte’s release launched

Local

TEN months after former President Rodrigo Duterte was sent and detained in The Hague, Netherlands, his supporters are calling for his safe return to the Philippines and pressing the Supreme Court to resolve pending petitions regarding his arrest.

They said the former president must come back home alive, amid criticism from some groups who predicted he would not survive the detention abroad.

On Monday, Jan. 19, Duterte backers launched the Cebu leg of the nationwide “Tay, Kami Naman” signature campaign, an initiative aiming to collect at least 500,000 signatures to urge the Supreme Court to act on four pending petitions.

These petitions challenge the Philippine government’s handling of Duterte’s transfer to The Hague, citing alleged violations of due process and executive overreach.

Volunteers leading the campaign in Cebu included Joie Cruz, a political observer; Paulo Te, a Davao City-based organizer; Jun Abines of Sara All Philippines; and Moises Garcia Deiparine, president of Duterte Riders Team Philippines.

During a press briefing, Cruz said the petitions raise constitutional questions over executive power, due process, and judicial authority.

“Hindi po puwedeng manatili sa limbo ang sambayanang Pilipino kung legal ba o ilegal ang ginawa kay PRRD. We want the Supreme Court to decide,” Cruz said.

The petitions include three habeas corpus cases filed on behalf of Duterte’s family members, and one petition questioning the legality of the actions of the Office of the President and other government officials in Duterte’s transfer abroad.

Organizers said Duterte faces no criminal cases in Philippine courts and has not been formally charged before the International Criminal Court, despite being deprived of liberty for several months.

According to campaign organizers, the Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling, creating what they describe as a legal limbo.

They are urging the High Tribunal to act with “deliberate urgency,” citing the importance of the petitions to public trust and the rule of law.

The group also wants the Court to declare void any acts that violate due process, exceed executive authority, or ignore judicial procedures in relation to Duterte’s detention.

The Cebu leg of the campaign will run for three days, with signature collection points in Talisay City, Lapu-Lapu City, Danao City, Carcar City, and Winzen Cafe along J. Briones Street.

Organizers said volunteers are coordinating with local groups to ensure smooth collection in each city.

Families and community groups are also encouraged to submit completed signature sheets directly to the campaign office in Davao City.

Since its official launch on November 23, 2025, during a Duterte Run event in Davao City, the “Tay, Kami Naman” campaign has traveled through at least 18 cities across Mindanao and the Visayas, including Bacolod, Kabankalan, Dumaguete, Siquijor, Dipolog, Pagadian, Cotabato, Iligan, Butuan, and Tagbilaran.

Te said the group has already gathered approximately 200,000 signatures, including submissions from overseas Filipinos in Japan and South Korea, and expects to surpass the 500,000-signature target by mid-February, when the petitions are planned to be formally filed with the Supreme Court.

Organizers said that even Filipinos in areas not reached by the caravan can participate.

Official signature forms are available online through the campaign’s website, which provides instructions for printing, distributing, and submitting the forms.

The group emphasized that the drive is a civic effort to allow citizens to register their views and support the pending legal cases.

Te said the campaign has been emotionally taxing for volunteers, who have felt the weight of Duterte’s detention since he was sent abroad.

“Every day we continue this effort, we are reminded of the uncertainty and legal questions surrounding his situation,” he said.

The nationwide caravan is set to continue after Cebu, moving next to Negros Island, covering both Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, before resuming in Iloilo and eventually to Luzon.

Duterte was arrested under an ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity connected to his war on drugs, which led to thousands of deaths.

Government records show 6,252 people were killed in police operations between 2016 and 2022, while human rights groups estimate the toll, including vigilante-style killings linked to law enforcement, could be as high as 30,000.

The ICC in The Hague prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.(MyTVCebu)