Duterte's arrest is about justice for EJK victims, not his persecution—solons

Manila Bulletin

​Those who have criticized the International Criminal Court's (ICC) order to arrest former president Rodrigo Duterte should first remember the likes of Kian delos Santos and other drug war victims before bemoaning the former leader's plight, House members have said.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/13/duterte-s-arrest-is-about-justice-for-ejk-victims-not-his-persecution-solons  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00We've been consistently repeating it.

00:03This happened yesterday, the arrest of the former President Duterte.

00:09This happened not because of...

00:12We should have noticed that this was not President Duterte.

00:16But for the victims of the AJK, there are so many...

00:21There are so many of them.

00:23When the trial started, I mean, when the Quadcom hearings started,

00:29I had the opportunity to talk to many of them.

00:34And many of them are our children.

00:37You have Kian De Los Santos.

00:40If I'm not mistaken, he was only 17 years old.

00:44Grade 11, from Caloocan.

00:47There's also Carlo Angelo Ernaiz.

00:52He was a valedictorian in high school.

00:54He was 19 years old. He was studying at UP.

00:58What he did was...

01:01He disappeared. He was just going to buy a snack.

01:04But he was seen after 10 days.

01:06If I'm not mistaken, he was arrested.

01:09He disappeared. He was just going to buy a snack.

01:12But he was seen after 10 days.

01:14If I'm not mistaken, the police said...

01:19He was arrested because he tried to hold up a taxi driver.

01:24There's Reynaldo Colot de Guzman, 14 years old, from Nueva Ecija.

01:29There's Danica May Garcia, 5 years old, from Agupan.

01:34There's Althea Barbon, 4 years old, from Negros.

01:37There's Skyla Rabatayo, 4 years old, from Tagasibu.

01:41She's from Tagasibu. She's just behind her father's motorcycle.

01:47There's Micah Ulpina, 3 years old.

01:51She's the youngest of the AGK victims.

01:54I think, while what happened yesterday,

01:57while we were monitoring what was happening,

02:02you know, to be honest, that's what comes to my mind.

02:05The victims.

02:07Just like what a mother of a victim said,

02:13she said, they're saying,

02:16we surrendered our sovereignty

02:19in the arrest of former President Duterte

02:26because of the ICC warrant.

02:29But isn't it sadder that a court outside the country

02:35has to order justice for the AJK victims?

02:39Isn't that sad?

02:41That's why I'm avoiding the word thanksgiving or celebration.

02:48Because, to be honest, in these times,

02:51we should start healing, especially for the AJK victims.

02:56I think we owe it to them to make sure that healing starts,

03:00but that healing will come only through one thing,

03:03through justice.

03:05And this exercise that we're doing,

03:08especially the trials in the ICC,

03:11is part of healing.

03:13It's the search for justice

03:15and giving responsibility to the person

03:18who possibly started and ordered these things to happen.

03:24And maybe this is what we should think about and worry about.

03:31The people of the country should not forget the AJK victims.

03:38These people who died for no reason.

03:43They're being judged for collateral damage.

03:47This is a story of justice.

03:52This is a story of justice, what's happening now.

03:55But this story is not yet over.

03:59And the only certainty is that justice is not yet asleep,

04:07and God is not yet asleep.

04:11Okay.

04:13So, well, on that aspect, again,

04:17we have to remember that the effectivity of the withdrawal

04:21of the Philippine government under the Rome Statute

04:24took effect last March of 2019.

04:27But the case was filed prior to its withdrawal.

04:32In other words, the International Criminal Court

04:36has already acquired jurisdiction over it.

04:39The investigation has already started.

04:41And the issuance of the warrant is legal and valid

04:45pursuant to the international rules.

04:47So having said that, the issuance of the warrant was, of course, issued,

04:53and it was coordinated with the Interpol,

04:57of which we're in the Philippine government is a party.

05:01And being a party, we have the obligation and we are duty-bound

05:05to have this warrant of arrest be implemented.

05:11And that is why the warrant, as issued hours before the arrival

05:16of former President Duterte in the Philippines,

05:20in other words, the government has already accepted

05:24the so-called warrant of arrest.

05:27And we have nothing to do but to implement and effect the warrant.

05:32So, regarding the so-called illegal arrest or detention,

05:36I would like to inform Atty. Panelo of the provisions under the Rules of Court

05:41which states that, let's read,

05:45Sinasabi is that, when making an arrest by virtue of a warrant,

05:49the arresting officer must inform the person to be arrested

05:53of the cause of the arrest and the fact that a warrant has been issued.

05:58Ibig sabihin, the officer is not required to have the warrant in their possession

06:05at the time of the arrest.

06:07Sinasabi pa po dito,

06:38And the existence of a warrant must be observed.

06:43However, the physical presentation of the warrant can be differed

06:49if circumstances make it impractical at the time of the arrest.

06:54We have to be clear on this. A warrant has already been issued.

06:58The warrant is digital. It was sent online.

07:02So, as to the existence of a warrant, the warrant is existing.

07:08It was coursed through to the proper channels.

07:11It was informed. The government was properly informed.

07:15So, by being a member of the International Criminal Police Organization or the Interpol,

07:21we are duty-bound to implement and effect the warrant.

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