5,000 people stormed the presidential palace, with 170,000 troops poised: Why did Marcos shoot himself in the foot?
On the night of March 11, 2025, former Philippine President Duterte was escorted by riot police onto a private plane bound for the Netherlands just after landing.
This operation, codenamed “3·11”, was touted by the Marcos government as a “victory for international rule of law”. However, less than two weeks later, the streets of the Philippines erupted.
Over 5,000 angry citizens stormed the Malacañang Palace, shouting “Release Duterte” and “Marcos step down”.
Riot police used tear gas and high-pressure water cannons to disperse the crowd, but the protesters held up large photos of Duterte, banging on iron fences.
The chaos began with a disputed “red notice”.
Marcos claimed that Interpol had issued a notice for Duterte, and the Philippines must comply with the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest request.
However, dramatically, his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, publicly contradicted him during a hearing: “There is no red notice, only a non-binding diffusion alert!”
Even more embarrassingly, the Philippines had withdrawn from the ICC back in 2019.
As Duterte’s supporters put it: “It’s like a gym closing down, but the trainer still chases you home to force you to work out.”
From “honeymoon allies” to “political enemies”
Marcos and Duterte were once the “golden duo” in Philippine politics.
In the 2022 elections, Marcos rose to power with the overwhelming support of Duterte’s daughter as vice president.
However, the power cake is never enough to share—Duterte’s family controls the southern Mindanao region, while the Marcos family dominates the northern Ilocos region, and the conflict between these two political dynasties gradually surfaced.
The turning point came in 2023.
The Marcos government suddenly reversed its stance, stating it would “reconsider joining the ICC”.
By the end of 2024, the Justice Secretary even declared: “As long as the procedures are legal, the government is willing to cooperate with the ICC investigation.”
It was clear to observers that this was aimed at Duterte’s “war on drugs”—a brutal campaign that resulted in over 6,000 deaths, which the ICC has labeled as “crimes against humanity”.
A flawed “international drama”
The arrest on March 11, 2025, exposed the Marcos government’s haste.
7,000 police officers had sealed off Manila airport in advance, yet explained to the media that it was “just routine security”.
Duterte was shoved onto a private plane immediately after landing, without even seeing a lawyer.
Even more absurdly, the escort plane landed at the presidential-exclusive Villamor Air Base—this detail convinced the public that “this is political persecution!”
The legal procedures were riddled with flaws.
The Philippine Constitution stipulates that extradition must be approved by the Supreme Court, but this arrest bypassed the judicial system entirely.
Presidential spokesperson Castro initially vowed: “We will definitely cooperate with the ICC!”
But by March 25, the government suddenly reversed its position: “The ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, and we will not freeze Duterte’s assets.”
Family infighting and public backlash
Marcos did not expect that the first knife would come from his own family.
Sister Imee publicly questioned during a Senate hearing: “The arrest procedure is illegal and harms national sovereignty!”
This powerful woman, who heads the Foreign Relations Committee, even refused to campaign for her brother in the midterm elections.
The division within the Marcos family resembles the eve of the 1986 People Power Revolution—back then, old Marcos was abandoned by all, and now history seems to be repeating itself.
Public opinion has overwhelmingly shifted in favor of Duterte.
Recent polls show Marcos’ approval rating plummeting to 20%, while the Duterte family’s approval rating exceeds 50%.
In Mindanao, 30,000 people marched with banners demanding “Release Duterte”, and Mayor Sebastian (Duterte’s son) declared: “We will fight back!”
Even the military’s stance is ambiguous—170,000 Filipino soldiers have yet to express support for the president, with the Chief of Staff only stating, “Remain neutral.”
From prison to “The Hague Hilton”
Duterte’s life in prison unexpectedly became a weapon in the war of public opinion.
Just three days after his arrest, he addressed the public via video: “I am willing to take responsibility for everything!”
In the footage, the 79-year-old wore an orange prison uniform, but his voice remained strong: “The war on drugs made the streets safe, now prices are soaring, who is really serving the people?”
His daughter Sara took the opportunity to play the family card: “My father can’t even get rice in The Hague, and even zero-degree Coke is limited!”
This immediately sparked public sympathy—Filipinos earn less than $10 a day, and Coke is a luxury, yet the former president is supposedly “unable to drink”.
Quickly, the ICC transferred Duterte to “The Hague Hilton” for “health reasons”.
This luxurious detention center, which has housed war criminals, ironically became his platform for public opinion.
The life-and-death race before the midterm elections
The midterm elections in May became a lifeline for the Duterte family.
Sara toured the country with a team of lawyers, and crowds erupted wherever she went.
In Cebu City, she held up a photo of her father: “They arrested a president who made drug dealers kneel, yet prices have risen by 30%!”
The audience erupted in a tsunami of cheers.
Meanwhile, Marcos found himself in a dire situation.
The presidential spokesperson had to deal with the same questions daily: “Why can’t you produce the red notice?” “Why was it not processed through the Philippine courts?”
By March 25, the government simply shifted the blame to the Anti-Money Laundering Council: “Freezing assets is not our responsibility!”
The most ironic conclusion to this farce is that the ICC itself began to backtrack.
Presiding Judge Motzok hinted: “If an emergency situation is proven, temporary release may be granted.”
Duterte’s legal team immediately seized on this: “Emergency situation? Filipinos are about to go hungry, isn’t that urgent enough?”