Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte on Wednesday said March 11 will remain a significant and painful date for their family and for many Filipinos, as he marked the anniversary of the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2025.

In an online statement, the congressman said March 11 would be remembered as the day the former president was taken from the country and flown to The Hague, describing the incident as an act driven by “political vengeance.”

“For our family, it was not merely a political event. It was the day a father was taken away from his children and grandchildren,” Duterte said. He added that his father had spent his life fighting crime, protecting communities, and serving the Filipino people.

The lawmaker also cited his father’s decision during his presidency to allow the burial of the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, which he said was made in the spirit of reconciliation and unity despite controversies surrounding the former leader.

Paolo Duterte claimed that instead of gratitude, the former president was subjected to humiliation before the international community following his arrest and transfer abroad.

He further said that many Filipinos remember the elder Duterte’s campaign against crime and illegal drugs and his efforts to defend ordinary citizens.

“March 11 is not just a date. It is a reminder — of loyalty repaid with betrayal, of service answered with persecution,” the congressman said.

He ended his statement by saying that Filipinos would remember the events and that history would eventually judge those responsible for what he described as an injustice.