MANILA — Senator Robinhood Padilla is appealing to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., to step in and stop the operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in relation to the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

 In a Facebook post, Padilla said, “My earnest plea, Mr. President, is for you to exercise your executive power to halt the operations of the Philippine National Police in following directives from a foreign entity that undermine our laws and violate our sovereignty.”

 “The fate of our beloved country now rests in your hands, Mr. President. We must consider the sentiments of our people, especially in these critical times when the world is shaping its future. Unity among Filipinos is crucial as we navigate this era of geopolitical conflict and trade wars,” Padilla added.

Ex-President Duterte arrested on ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity

 Duterte was arrested Tuesday morning upon his return to Manila from Hong Kong, after INTERPOL Manila received the arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to his alleged crimes against humanity.

Padilla is president of the Partido ng Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Laban where Duterte is chairman.

Padilla reminded Marcos of their previous support for him.

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 “Once upon a time, when there was no one else to stand by you, my group supported and protected you in our own humble way. We consider ourselves your friends and loyal supporters because we still believe that President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. was kidnapped and taken to a foreign land against his will, in defiance of our domestic laws,” Padilla said in the same social media post.

Duterte, 79, faces a charge of "the crime against humanity of murder", according to the ICC, for the crackdown in which rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed by officers and vigilantes, often without proof they were linked to drugs.