Duterte arrest exposes divisions in Filipino society

Surveys and elections prove the continued popularity of Duterte – who once called Pope Francis a ‘son of a bitch’ and described God as ‘stupid’ – in Asia’s biggest Catholic-majority country.

The arrest of the former president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, accused of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, exposed divisions even within the local Catholic Church.

Duterte’s supporters and critics clashed online shortly after he was arrested on 11 March. The 79-year-old populist commands massive support despite criticism from the Catholic hierarchy.

“This was how successful Duterte was. He divided the nation, he divided communities, he divided families and even the faith,” said Fr Flavie Villanueva SVD, when asked on 12 March about how Duterte’s arrest “is dividing the faithful”. Villanueva appealed to Catholics to go back to a “discerning faith”.

“Let’s reflect on why we allow killing. In which part of the Bible and our faith does God allow and delight in killing?” he said.

Villanueva, one of Duterte’s strongest critics, was speaking at a memorial in northern Metro Manila for victims of Duterte’s drug war, where he blessed urns holding their ashes before relatives placed them in a columbarium.

Like Villanueva, other anti-Duterte priests and religious welcomed his arrest.

“Duterte’s ICC warrant is not just a legal matter – it is a moral call for justice and truth,” said a statement from the social justice arm of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines, said the Philippines “must ensure that such crimes never happen again”.

Duterte’s Catholic supporters attacked clergymen, however, for treating Duterte with “vengeance”. Surveys and elections prove the continued popularity of Duterte – who once called Pope Francis a “son of a bitch” and described God as “stupid” – in Asia’s biggest Catholic-majority country.

A Pulse Asia survey released on 13 March showed that Duterte’s long-time aide, Senator Bong Go, has a strong chance of leading the senatorial election on 12 May.

Senator Bato dela Rosa, a key Duterte ally, is also one of the public’s top choices for senator. He was the architect of the Duterte drug war, and has voiced fears he will be arrested next.

In the 2022 presidential election, Duterte’s daughter Sara won the vice presidency by a huge margin.

Duterte’s enduring popularity, despite the ICC case, has frustrated his enemies. Former senator Leila de Lima, 65, considered the most persecuted political figure during Duterte’s presidency, said that “our soul as Filipinos went astray” during his term. She spent nearly seven years in jail over what she called trumped-up drug charges.

“I even want to call him the Filipino anti-Christ, because what he did was unchristian,” De Lima said on the popular Facts First podcast on 12 March. “Our humanity was lost, our Christianity was lost.”

De Lima – a Marian devotee – said she hoped Duterte’s arrest would open Filipinos’ minds. Given the facts coming out about his crimes, she asked, “Will you still support him?”

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