Actress Nadine Lustre is once again at the center of online debate after sharing a post seemingly alluding to the recent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On her Instagram Stories, Lustre reposted an image originally published by a news outlet, showing a placard with the phrase “COLLECT THEM ALL” written across it. The list beneath it included the names of Duterte, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with a check mark beside Duterte’s name.
The photo was allegedly taken in The Hague, Netherlands, where Duterte is currently detained for his crimes against humanity trial.
Although the award-winning actress did not add any caption or explanation to the post, many netizens—particularly Duterte supporters—interpreted it as an approval of the former president’s arrest and the ICC’s ongoing investigation into the controversial ‘Oplan Tokhang’ anti-drug campaign.
Following her post, Lustre became the target of harsh criticism from Duterte’s loyalists, who flooded social media with negative comments about her. She was called “bobo,” “laos,” “papansin,” and “user,” with some netizens accusing her of trying to stay relevant by inserting herself into political discourse.
Others brought up her past breakup with James Reid, with some claiming they regretted supporting her during that time.
Nadine Lustre has never shied away from expressing her political opinions. She was one of the celebrity endorsers of former Vice President Leni Robredo during the 2022 presidential elections, attending rallies and using her platform to advocate for justice, human rights, and government transparency.
Prior to this, Lustre had also supported progressive movements and spoken out on issues related to governance, environmental protection, and social justice.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 and transported to The Hague, where he faced his initial pre-trial hearing on March 14. The ICC is holding him accountable for crimes against humanity, particularly for the thousands of extrajudicial killings under his violent anti-drug campaign.
Lustre has yet to respond to the backlash, but if her history is any indication, she is unlikely to back down from speaking her mind.
