Palace says debt of gratitude won't stop law enforcement

Malacañang has refuted claims by Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is "ungrateful" for allowing the International Criminal Court to bring his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to The Hague for trial.

Mayor Duterte alleged that his father, former President Duterte, is owed gratitude by President Marcos Jr. because he allowed the burial of President Marcos Jr.'s father, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (LNMB) in 2016.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro stated that any debt of gratitude should not stop the government from enforcing the law.

Castro also mentioned that President Marcos Jr. had already expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court in 2016 for the ruling that permitted his father's burial at the heroes' cemetery.

She added that a 2016 message from then-Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed profound and lasting gratitude to former President Duterte for his "unwavering commitment" and "kind gesture" regarding the burial issue.