Chiz: Duterte arrest not a poll issue
SENATE PRESIDENT Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Wednesday called on candidates of the midterm national and local elections to avoid using the recent arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte as a campaign issue.
“I call on those running in the midterm elections to refrain from using this issue to fan the flames of partisanship in order to further their candidacies as this is a serious issue that involves lives and should not be trifled with for petty personal or political gain,” Mr. Escudero said in a statement.
Local authorities arrested the former president on Tuesday following the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
He was served the arrest warrant upon his arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after a Partido Demokratiko Pilipino event with overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong.
The former president was flown from a chartered jet bound for The Hague in the Netherlands, on Tuesday evening, after being detained at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay.
The senate chief also urged citizens to “approach this moment with the restraint and respect.”
He said that he expects that the ICC to respect the right of Mr. Duterte and ensure that “he is afforded due process in accordance with the Rule of Law.”
“This development will undoubtedly elicit diverse reactions shaped by differing perspectives on the allegations against the former president, from the families of victims of extra-judicial killings to his loyal supporters,” Mr. Escudero added.
The ICC has been investigating Mr. Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity that he committed when he was still the mayor of Davao City and for the first three years of his presidency, when the Philippines was still a member of the international tribunal.
In 2019, the Philippines withdrew from the ICC’s Rome Statute after it had started to investigate allegations of systematic extrajudicial killings. — Adrian H. Halili
