FACE THE MUSIC
SAYING that she expects former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to face the charges as he earlier said, Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros said this is now the time to prove that he is ready to face any arrest and investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“Mismong ang dating Pangulo ang nagpahayag ng kahandaan na harapin anumang oras and ICC at ngayon nga ay inaasahan natin na gagawin ito upang sagutin ang maraming katanungan na sumisigaw ng hustisya sa panig ng mga naulila sa ilalim nang isinagawa EJK. Simula pa lamang po ito,” Hontiveros said
Hontiveros reiterated her call for Duterte to face the ICC probe, urging the Philippine government to honor its commitments to international law.
“Dumating na ang araw na hinihintay ng mga pamilya ng libo-libong Pilipino na nawala sa madugong ‘tokhang’ ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte,” she said.
She stressed that Duterte himself had previously declared under oath that he would face the ICC investigation.
“Pinanghahawakan ko ang mga sinabi ni dating Pangulong Duterte, under oath, na haharapin niya ang kaso sa International Criminal Court. Sana, bilang abugado, siya ay sumunod sa mga proseso nito,” she added.
Hontiveros further urged Malacañang to cooperate with the ICC and Interpol, ensuring that the judicial process takes its full course.
“I also hope that Malacañang will honor its word and accede to all requests of the ICC, through the Interpol, and ensure that justice will run its full course,” she stated.
She emphasized that Duterte was not solely responsible for the thousands of extrajudicial killings during the drug war.
“The thousands of Filipinos killed during tokhang were not murdered by one man alone. Sana ay simula pa lang ito ng paghahabol ng hustisya sa lahat ng mga opisyal at kawani ng gobyerno na responsable sa pagpatay sa inosente o walang kalaban-laban,” Hontiveros said.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada urged the public to remain calm and avoid acts that could further divide the country in the wake of Duterte’s arrest.
Estrada said Filipinos must remain calm as he maintained that the Justice system in this administration is strong and working.
