Supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte light candles outside Villamor Airbase in Pasay City, where Duterte was being held after his arrest on March 11, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Lawyer Salvador Panelo on Thursday said former President Rodrigo Duterte should have postponed his return to the Philippines from Hong Kong to give his supporters time to mobilize and block his arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant implemented through Interpol.

Panelo, Duterte’s former presidential legal counsel, said he was only made aware of Duterte’s arrival in Manila hours before he landed but could have mobilized "a million people" given time.

“Nalaman ko lang ang plano alas-3 ng madaling araw, aalis na siya ng alas-7. Wala na kong magawa,” he told reporters in a chance interview. 

(I only learned at 3 a.m. that he was flying back at 7 a.m. I couldn't do anything anymore)

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“Kung ako ang nandoon, ang advise ko sa kanya, i-delay ng dalawang araw. Give me two days so I could mobilize a million people. Yun ang magiging partisipasyon ko sana pero hindi nangyari eh,” Panelo said. 

(If I was there, I would have advised him to delay coming back for two days. Give me two days and I could mobilize a million people. That would have been my participation but that didn't happen)

Prosecutors send first set of evidence to Duterte defense

Panelo said he would have arranged a group to meet Duterte at the airport.

“Sigurado, yayariin ka, babastusin ka doon, pero kung maraming tao, either hindi nila ituloy,” he said. 

(For sure, you will be in trouble, they will disrespect you there. But if there is a huge crowd, they will not push through with it.

In the end, Panelo said, it was Duterte’s decision that prevailed.

He also denied that the former president applied for an asylum in China, saying this was “out of character”.  

Panelo also brushed off rumors of betrayal from within Duterte's trusted circle, saying this was fueled by anti-Duterte social media users.

Some social media users have speculated that Duterte sought refuge from China but was rejected, which forced him to go back to the Philippines where he was eventually arrested.

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China's foreign ministry has said it did not receive any asylum requests from the former president, whose administration had played down the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea to focus on other aspects of relations with the regional giant like infrastructure and investments.

Vice President Sara Duterte has also denied that her father applied for asylum in China.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 and was sent to The Hague, The Netherlands to face the crimes against humanity accusation filed before the International Criminal Court there.