After Maduro operation, supporters of former Philippine leader seek Trump’s help
A Filipino politician has echoed online calls urging US President Donald Trump to intervene in the Philippines, days after Washington extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas.
The calls, circulating among supporters of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, ask Trump to help secure Duterte’s return from The Hague, where he has been detained since March 2025.
Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over deaths linked to his anti-drug campaign as president and earlier as mayor of Davao City.
The messages were amplified by Greco Belgica, a former head of the country’s anti-corruption commission under Duterte.
“We ask for your help in bringing home the former President arrested and detained by the ICC. Our goal is for both the current and former leaders to face justice in our own Philippine courts,” read the message.
Supporters have sought to draw parallels between the Philippines and Venezuela following the US operation in Caracas.
Washington has accused Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, an alleged drug-trafficking network involving senior Venezuelan officials, and of overseeing cocaine shipments into the United States. He faces charges including narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy.
Duterte, by contrast, built his political identity on a brutal crackdown on drugs, repeatedly vowing to have users and dealers killed. His successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has said his administration is pursuing a “bloodless” anti-drug campaign, although official figures show deaths linked to drug operations remain.
One widely shared message addressed to Trump framed the Philippines’ problems as mirroring Venezuela’s.
The widely shared message addressed to Trump framed the Philippines’ problems as mirroring Venezuela’s.
“Our country, the Philippines, is facing a massive struggle with drugs, government corruption, and the protection of our oil and trade territories in the West Philippine Sea—very similar to your issues in Venezuela,” it said.
The stated aim of the appeal was to have Duterte tried domestically rather than at the ICC.
“We want to restore the rule of law within our own borders,” the message read.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
