The International Criminal Court's appeals chamber denied former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plea for temporary liberty on November 28, 2025, citing his ongoing influence over supporters. The decision highlighted risks from Duterte Diehard Supporters, likened in commentary to a cult of personality similar to Charles Manson's followers. Meanwhile, the Office of the Solicitor General re-entered the case at the Supreme Court on December 1.
On November 28, 2025, the ICC's appeals chamber rejected Rodrigo Duterte's request for interim release while he faces charges related to his administration's drug war. The judges considered not only Duterte but also his network of influence, including the Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS), family members in power, and associates. This group, described as an online battalion and congregation that repeats directives unquestioningly, was seen as posing hazards to the judicial process.
Commentary in Rappler drew parallels between the DDS and the Manson Family, noting that while not identical, both exhibit blind loyalty and submission. Charles Manson, in the late 1960s, manipulated hippie followers in California into murders during the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings under his 'Helter Skelter' prophecy, without committing the acts himself. Similarly, Duterte is accused of directing a drug war that claimed thousands of lives, with supporters enabling it through unquestioning devotion. Manson's courtroom defiance, including carving an X on his forehead—mimicked by followers—was compared to Duterte's disruptive behavior in 2024 congressional hearings and the spectacles outside ICC facilities, where supporters chant and use cardboard standees.
Both leaders used bluster, threats, and prophecies of doom—Manson's race war delusions and Duterte's warnings of narco-politics—to command obedience. The ICC viewed the DDS as a political machine capable of intimidating witnesses and distorting facts, masquerading as grassroots support.
In related developments, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a manifestation on December 1, 2025, to re-enter as counsel for the government in the Supreme Court petition by Duterte and Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa challenging the handover to the ICC. The OSG had previously recused itself under former Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra due to its stance on ICC jurisdiction. It also urged the Supreme Court to deny Dela Rosa's petition for a temporary restraining order against a possible ICC arrest warrant, arguing it lacks ripeness and actual controversy. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla mentioned such a warrant on November 9, 2025, though the ICC could not confirm it.
The rulings underscore tensions between international justice and domestic loyalty, with the ICC emphasizing evidence over hysteria.