March 21, 2025
MANILA – Malacañang Palace has no information on the alleged request of former President Rodrigo Duterte to be granted asylum in China, Presidential Communications Officer (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Friday.
“We received no such information. That’s not part of the info that the Palace has been getting,” Castro said in Filipino in a press conference.
According to reports on Thursday, Duterte allegedly sought — and was denied — asylum in China before he was arrested on March 11 under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC)
READ: Duterte’s ICC arrest: Separating fact from lies
Asked what information the Palace had before Duterte’s arrival from Hong Kong, Castro said it was the only information they had concerning the former president.
“That he was already on the way home from Hong Kong — that’s it,” she said.
Duterte arrived in the country after attending a campaign rally for his endorsed senatorial bets in Hong Kong. He was arrested upon his arrival due to the alleged crimes against humanity he committed during his administration’s drug war.
READ: Rodrigo Duterte accepts responsibility for drug war as ICC detains him
The drug war left at least 6,000 people dead, according to the government, though human rights groups reported that number was at least 20,000.