PH wants fair ICC trial for DU30
THE government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wants a fair trial for former president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte is being tried before the ICC in the Hague, Netherlands over his alleged crimes against humanity.
Earlier, Duterte was surrendered by the Philippine government to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) tasked by the ICC to serve the arrest warrant.
In a press briefing on Friday in Malacanang, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said it’s the duty of the Philippine government to make sure Duterte is given a fair trial by the global court.
Castro implied that while Duterte is the subject of a serious complaint, the government is bound to ensure the protection of his rights during the trial. This is because aside from being the former president of the country, the accused is foremost a Filipino, the official explained.
The pronouncement of the PCO executive sends a clear message — that the government is responsibly dispensing its function as an effective enabler of justice not just for the victims of the so-called ‘bloody drug war’ but for its alleged author as well.
In the same briefing, Castro also emphasized there is no need for loyalty check in the ranks of the military and the police following the arrest and eventual transport of Duterte to the Hague.
She expressed confidence that personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) fully understood the rationale behind the government’s decision to surrender Duterte to the Interpol.
The process of arresting Duterte at Villamor Airbase was in full accordance with the law, she added.
Castro also belied reports about the reported mass resignation of soldiers and policemen meant to mislead the public. Thus, she called on Filipinos to be vigilant against fake news being spread particularly on social media.
Interestingly, the PCO executive encouraged citizens to verify socmed information through the mainstream media – TV, radio and print. This supports the fact that while socmed is the fastest source of information, the traditional media remains the most credible.
Further, Castro shrugged off criticisms of Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa over what he called the ‘flimsy’ excuses of the government for surrendering Duterte to the Interpol.
The senator reportedly insisted that the government could have opted not to arrest Duterte because it wielded power to decide on the matter.
Reports also indicated that Bato charged the Chief Executive of betraying Duterte who, according to the senator, was promised of protection against the ICC by the President.
But Castro was quick to say that such statements are expected from the camp of Duterte, including Dela Rosa, who, aside from Duterte, is also threatened by an arrest order from the ICC owing to his alleged key participation in the drug war.
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