Duterte clan rallies as ex-Philippine leader marks 80th in jail
Family and supporters of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte will rally Friday to mark his 80th birthday and protest his detention in The Hague on a charge of crimes against humanity.
Duterte could spend the remainder of his life in jail if convicted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) of the charge tied to his "war on drugs" in which thousands were killed.
Supporters are planning more than 200 simultaneous birthday rallies demanding his release.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, his eldest daughter, has been in the Dutch city for more than two weeks helping assemble his legal team.
Another of the ex-president's daughters, 20-year-old Veronica as well as her mother, Cielito Avancena, said they failed to get inside the prison to see him on Wednesday -- but remained hopeful.
"I will make sure I get to see him," Veronica told a Philippine television network outside the ICC detention centre.
Another of the ex-president's sons is expected, as well as his ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, according to Sara Duterte.
- 'Systematic attack' -
The ICC chief prosecutor's application for his arrest said Duterte's alleged crimes were "part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population" in the Philippines.
"Potentially tens of thousands of killings were perpetrated," the prosecutor alleged of the campaign that targeted mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.
But Sara Duterte has said that the once wildly popular president is convinced that what the ICC did "was wrong and there is no case to begin with".
Duterte's arrest on March 11 and rapid handover to the international tribunal came on the heels of his family's bitter falling out with his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos.
Cracks began to appear in their alliance soon after Marcos teamed up with Sara Duterte to sweep the presidential and vice presidential elections in May 2022.
The vice president quit her cabinet post as education secretary after being denied the defence portfolio, while Duterte himself began calling Marcos a drug addict.
Last month, Sara Duterte was impeached by a pro-Marcos House of Representatives on charges that include an alleged assassination plot against the president.
The outcome of her Senate trial will likely depend on the number of seats her allies win in May 12 mid-term elections.
One of her party's candidates, former Philippine police chief and drug war enforcer Ronald Dela Rosa, says he expects to be arrested by the ICC next.
The ex-president faces six months wait inside the United Nations' Scheveningen prison before his next scheduled court appearance on September 23.
The court session will confirm the charges against him and allow him to contest the allegations.
Chief ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has disclosed 181 unspecified items of evidence to the defence, led by British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman.
The prisoner is only allowed two visits per day -- a lawyer and a family member, said the vice president.
"I urged him to write a book and then when you get out, we'll sell it and make money out of it," she said.
cgm/cwl/pjm
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Israeli military kills at least 95 people in Gaza as the body of a Thai hostage is recovered
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel said Saturday it retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war, as Israel's military continued its offensive, killing at least 95 people in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nattapong Pinta had come to Israel to work in agriculture. Israel's government said he was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and killed early in the war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023. Thailand's foreign ministry said the bodies of two other citizens were yet to be retrieved. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive. Many lived on the outskirts of southern Israeli kibbutzim and towns, the first places overrun in the attack. Forty-six Thais have been killed during the war, according to the foreign ministry. Israel's defense minister said Pinta's body was retrieved from the Rafah area in southern Gaza. The army said he was seized by the Mujahideen Brigades, the small armed group that also took two Israeli-American hostages, Judih Weinstein and Gad Haggai, whose bodies were retrievedon Thursday. Israel's military later said it killed the head of the Mujahideen Brigades, As'ad Aby Sharaiya, in Gaza City on Saturday. Fifty-five hostages remain in Gaza. Israel says more than half are dead. Families rallied again Saturday evening in Israel, calling for a ceasefire deal to bring everyone home. Hamas issued an unusual warning about another hostage, Matan Zangauker, saying Israel's military had surrounded the area where he's held and that any harm that came to him during a rescue attempt would be Israel's responsibility. Israel's military didn't immediately comment. 'The decision to expand the (military) ground maneuver is at the cost of Matan's life and the lives of all the hostages,' Zangauker's mother, Einav, told the rally in Tel Aviv. A strike in Gaza City killed six members of a family, including two children, according to the Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals. Israel's military said the strike targeted the Mujahideen Brigades leader. 'This is the real destruction,' a man said as he carried the body of a small boy from the scene. Four Israeli strikes hit the Muwasi area in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis. In northern Gaza, a strike hit an apartment, killing seven people including a mother and five children. Their bodies were taken to Shifa hospital. 'Stand up, my love,' one weeping woman said, touching the shrouded bodies. Israel said it was responding to Hamas' 'barbaric attacks' and dismantling its capabilities. It said it takes all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Staff at Nasser hospital, which received the bodies of six people over the past 24 hours, said they were killed while on their way to get food aid. Much of Gaza's population of over 2 million relies on aid after widespread destruction of agriculture as well as a recent Israeli blockade. Experts have warned of famine. Israel's army has warned that the aid distribution area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours. It said several suspects attempted to approach troops operating in the Tel al-Sultan area overnight 'in a manner that posed a threat.' The army said troops called out, then fired warning shots as the suspects advanced. An army official who couldn't be named in line with military procedures said the shots were fired about a half-mile from the distribution site. Over the past two weeks, shootings have occurred frequently near the new hubs where thousands of desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. Israel's military has said it fired warning shots or, in some instances, at individuals approaching. The hubs are run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and aid groups. A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group's rules, said it didn't feed Gaza residents on Saturday and blamed Hamas threats. There was no immediate Hamas response. Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid under the U.N.-led system. The U.N. and aid groups deny there's significant diversion of aid to fighters and say the new system — which they have rejected — allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and won't be effective. The U.N says it has been unable to distribute much aid under its system because of Israeli military restrictions on movements and insecurity. Separately, Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha. 'I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need,' said Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. 'I only had lentils, and I ran out of them.' Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Hamas-run Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Illinois congresswoman says Sikh man praying on House floor was ‘deeply troubling'
The Brief U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois) said in a since-deleted post on X that a Sikh chaplain leading a prayer in Congress was "deeply troubling." She initially misidentified the man as Muslim, according to multiple reports. Miller's comments have received backlash from several fellow members of Congress. WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Republican congresswoman representing parts of downstate Illinois is getting heat for saying in a since-deleted social media post on Friday that it was "deeply troubling" to her that a Sikh man led a prayer in the House of Representatives, after misidentifying the man as Muslim. What we know According to multiple reports, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller wrote on X: "It's deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning. This should have never been allowed to happen. "America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further from it. May God have mercy!" Miller then edited the post to reflect that the man was actually Sikh, but later deleted it entirely. Still, Miller's post garnered criticism from multiple members of Congress, including Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat who represents parts of Chicago's northwest suburbs and is running for a U.S. Senate seat. He called Miller's comments anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim. "I am appalled by Rep. Mary Miller's comments—first misidentifying a Sikh chaplain as Muslim, then saying he should have 'never been allowed' to lead the House in prayer. Her remarks were both anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim, and they reflect a disturbing pattern of religious intolerance," Krishnamoorthi said. "The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion for all. The Sikh and Muslim communities have long contributed to the strength, service, and spirit of our nation. All Americans—regardless of party—must come together to reject these attacks and stand united against all forms of prejudice." Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), the minority leader in the House, also reacted to Miller's comments saying, "It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress. That would be you, Mary." The Congressional Asian Pacific Americans Caucus, which includes Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and Krishnamoorthi, said on X that it condemned Miller's anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim bigotry." "Sikhs and Muslims practice two separate and distinct religions, and conflating the two based on how someone looks is not only ignorant but also racist," the CAPAC added in its post. A request for comment to Miller's campaign was not immediately responded to on Saturday. The backstory It's not the first time Miller has drawn ire for controversial comments during her tenure in Congress. Just a few days into her first term in 2021, Miller apologized for knowingly quoting Adolf Hitler during a rally outside of the U.S. Capitol. While discussing the need for the Republican Party to appeal to young people, she said, "Hitler was right on one thing. He said, 'Whoever has the youth has the future.'" She made that comment on Jan. 5, 2021, the day before supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Miller apologized for the comment and said some were trying to "twist" her words to "mean something antithetical to my beliefs." She added she was "passionately" pro-Israel and "will always be a strong advocate and ally of the Jewish community." In 2022, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to an abortion, Miller said at a rally the decision was a "victory for white life." A spokesman said Miller meant to say the decision was a victory for a "right to life," and that her comment was a "mix-up of words."
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
IDF airstrike kills head of Palestinian jihadist group that helped Hamas kidnap, murder on Oct. 7
The leader of a brutal Palestinian jihadist group responsible for the kidnappings and cold-blooded murders of the Bibas family and an Israeli-American couple was killed in an airstrike, the Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday. Asaad Abu Sharia, head of the Mujahideen Brigades, was killed in a joint operation carried out in Gaza City on Saturday by the IDF and the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, the groups announced in a joint statement posted on Telegram. 6 The IDF and the Shin Bet announced Saturday that they killed Mujahideen Brigades leader Asaad Abu Sharia. IDF/Telegram 6 Another high-ranking leader of the group, Mahmoud Kaheel, was killed in a separate airstrike. IDF/Telegram 'During the war, the organization he led was involved in instigating terrorist attacks against Israel and fighting against IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip,' the statement read. Another high-ranking leader of the group, Mahmoud Kaheel, was killed in a separate attack, officials confirmed. 'The terrorists of the [Mujahideen] organization took a significant part in the murderous massacre on October 7, and were complicit in the kidnapping and murder,' they added. During the deadly 2023 attack on Israel, the group aided Hamas by raiding the Nir Oz kibbutz, which was home to Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, American-Israeli couple Gadi Hagai and Judy Lynn Weinstein, and Thai national Nattapong Pinta. 6 Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were kidnapped from their home during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Yifat Zailer / Facebook The Bibas' remains were handed over to Israel in February and Hagai's and Weinstein's bodies were recovered just this week by the IDF and Shin Bet. The remains of Pinta, 36, who had arrived to work on the kibbutz a year and a half prior to the attack, were recovered from Mujahideen Saturday in the area of Rafah in southern Gaza, also as part of the special joint operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Pinta, like the other Nir Oz victims, is believed to have been killed in the early days of the war. 6 Nattapong Pinta was working on a kibbutz during the Oct. 7 attacks, sending money home to his family in Thailand. AP In total, 47 people were killed on the kibbutz during the onslaught and 76 were abducted — only four of whom are presumed alive. The bodies of seven captives from Nir Oz remain in the Strip, according to reports. Pinta, who had been working on avocado and pomegranate farms before being take captive, had been sending his earnings to his wife and young son back in Thailand in the hopes of helping her open a coffee shop, the Times of Israel reported. The father was one of 46 Thais who were killed while working in Israel. 6 Israeli soldiers deployed during an army operation in the West Bank city of Nablus in late May. ALAA BADARNEH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Fifty-five hostages remain in capticity in Gaza, but only 20 are believed to be alive. The IDF and the Shin Bet vowed Saturday to 'to locate and thwart all terrorists … who took part in the murderous massacre on October 7 and in holding Israeli hostages captive.' In recent weeks, Israel has expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip and announced Saturday that it had uncovered an underground tunnel route, including a command and control center run by Hamas under a European Hospital compound. 6 The IDF retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday. AFP via Getty Images And with a concerns growing in the region over a humanitarian crisis, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was forced to suspend operations on Saturday due to 'direct threats against GHF operations' by Hamas, according to reports. 'Hamas is the reason hundreds of thousands of hungry Gazans were not fed today,' the GHF said in a statement. With Post wires
