Two nations, One court: Duterte’s supporters demand his release as Ugandans call for justice at the ICC

THE HAGUE, Netherlands —The International Criminal Court (ICC) has become the focal point of two dramatically opposing demands: freedom for a former president from the Philippines and justice against a sitting leader from Uganda. Outside its premises in The Hague, voices rise daily, supporters in defense of Rodrigo Duterte, others pleading for the arrest of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his son.

Despite his incarceration at Scheveningen Prison under ICC custody, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte staged a powerful political comeback. On May 12, he ran in the Davao City mayoralty race and crushed his relative, Karlo Nograles, in a historic landslide. Duterte garnered 662,630 votes, while Nograles received only 80,852, securing a margin of over 580,000 votes.

The result not only signals Duterte’s unwavering grip on Davao City but also signals his enduring popularity despite international legal proceedings. The political victory achieved while behind bars serves as a symbolic reassertion of Duterte’s dominance in his southern stronghold and could reverberate nationally as the Philippines eyes the 2025 elections.

Outside the prison, support from overseas Filipinos remains strong. One OFW in the Netherlands told Newsline Philippines,

“I am here every day because I feel the pain. He is 80 years old and alone. So I share what I have with his visitors. No one is giving me anything, but I do this voluntarily.”

The woman, who brings snacks and coffee for Duterte’s supporters outside the prison, described her actions as a personal mission of solidarity.

In Contrast: Ugandan Refugees Beg ICC to Act

Just meters away from Duterte’s camp, a group of Ugandan refugees has been holding their own protest but with a starkly different plea. They are urging the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his son, citing gross human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, and cross-border military aggression.

Steward, a Ugandan youth leader at the protest site, said:

“We are reporting to the ICC because of mass torture, abductions, and intimidation of opposition leaders. The president’s son, the army’s second-in-command, is directly threatening us. We want the ICC to release an arrest warrant for him. We want to go home, but only when there is justice.”

Museveni has ruled Uganda under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for more than four decades. He and his son, a powerful military figure, are accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns, stifling media freedom, and invading neighboring territories such as Congo and Somalia.

One Ugandan journalist told Newsline Philippines,

“I was beaten. Journalists are either assaulted or silenced whenever we expose truths that make the government uncomfortable.”

The ICC’s Complex Role: Between Justice and Jurisdiction.

The stark contrast between these two groups of demonstrators outside the ICC highlights the Court’s complex and controversial role in global justice. For Duterte’s supporters, the ICC represents overreach, a foreign tribunal persecuting a beloved leader. For Ugandan refugees, it is their final hope for accountability and justice.

Inside the ICC building, the Philippine flag is no longer among those of the member nations, a quiet but clear reminder of the country’s 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute. Yet, the ICC has maintained jurisdiction over Duterte, given that the alleged crimes occurred while the Philippines was still a member.

As these two nations clash outside the Court, one defending its leader, the other denouncing its own — the ICC stands at a pivotal moment. Will it be a tool for political reckoning, or a symbol of selective justice?

Only time, and the weight of evidence, will tell.