Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte appealed to their supporters to continue praying for the safe return of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
In a video message released on Tuesday, Pulong asked for prayers as their family awaits developments in the former president’s case before the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faces charges related to his administration’s war on drugs.
“To my brothers and fellow Filipinos, please keep on praying for our family, for my father, so he can finally come home,” said the eldest Duterte offspring.
In Filipino, Pulong added: “To all our fellow Filipinos around the world, I hope you don’t grow tired of praying for the return of our beloved President Rody. As he has always said, he sacrificed his life for the country. At his age, he deserves to return to his beloved homeland, live as a senior citizen, and enjoy the benefits and discounts that come with it.”
He thanked their followers for their continued loyalty.
Pulong was recently re-elected as representative of Davao City’s 1st District. His sons, Omar Vincent and Rigo, were also sworn in as representative of the 2nd District and city councilor, respectively.
The Duterte patriarch was elected Mayor of Davao City in the most recent polls, with his son Sebastian, also known as ‘Baste,’ as Vice Mayor. It remains unclear if the former president will be allowed to assume office due to his detention. In his absence, Baste may serve as acting mayor.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte is out of the country with plans to revisit their father in The Netherlands. She is also facing an impending impeachment trial set to begin in the Philippine Senate.
