ALLIES of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte have been urged not to turn his trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) into a political spectacle.

Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre emphasized that the case is about accountability for alleged crimes, not politics.

“Ang simpleng argumento dito ay pumatay ka kaya dapat kang managot. Huwag gawing politika ang malinaw na krimen,” Acidre, a House Assistant Majority Leader and chairman of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, said.

“Katarungan po para sa mga napatay ng fake drug war ang dapat na pagtuunan natin ng pansin at kanilang pamilya,” he added.

He pointed out that Duterte’s allies have resorted to misleading narratives to frame the ICC prosecution as a politically motivated attack rather than addressing the legal merits of the case.

“This is not about political vendettas. This is about justice for the thousands who were killed in the name of a drug war that disregarded due process. Instead of politicizing the process, they should allow the law to take its course,” Acidre said.

He also backed the statement of Ruben Carranza, senior associate at the International Center for Transitional Justice, who criticized Duterte’s camp for failing to present a clear legal strategy and instead using the ICC proceedings as a political battlefield.

“Tama si Ginoong Carranza. Hindi ito eleksyon. Hindi ito propaganda war. Ito ay paglilitis para sa buhay ng libo-libong Pilipino na minasaker nang walang paliwanag at walang due process,” Acidre added.

Echoing Carranza’s statement, Acidre said the Duterte legal team found itself on unfamiliar territory of being accorded due process and was unable to adapt.

He stressed that the ICC has dealt with numerous cases involving political figures but has remained focused on the legal and factual issues, ensuring fair proceedings.

“The ICC is not easily swayed by political theatrics. They deal with politicized criminal cases all the time, yet they remain committed to the truth and the rule of law. That is what the former president should face – a legal battle, not a political one,” he said.

Acidre also warned that Duterte’s allies risk damaging their own credibility by trying to spin the trial into a political persecution rather than a matter of justice.

“Ang dapat nilang gawin ay patunayan sa korte na inosente ang dating Pangulo kung talagang wala siyang kasalanan. Ngunit kung patuloy nilang gagamitin ang isyung ito bilang pulitikal na sandata, ipinapakita lang nila na wala silang malakas na depensa,” he said.

The lawmaker urged the former president’s camp to focus on legal defense instead of mobilizing political supporters to sow misinformation and disrupt the legal proceedings.

“No amount of rallies or propaganda can erase the fact that thousands were killed without due process. If Duterte believes he is innocent, he should prove it in court, not in the streets,” Acidre said.

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Jester P. Manalastas