DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 March) – A political candidate challenging a son of former President Rodrigo Duterte and a lawyer’s group here welcomed his arrest Tuesday morning in Metro Manila after arriving from Hong Kong.
But they said that the rule of law must be followed after Duterte, who is turning 80 years old on March 28, was arrested based on the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “crimes against humanity” in connection with his bloody “war on drugs.”
Maria Victoria “Mags” Maglana, a governance, peace and development worker who is running against reelectionist First District Rep. Paolo Duterte, said that supporters of the former president must respect the rule of law “even though many victims of the crimes for which Duterte has been charged were not afforded this fundamental recourse.”
“The people of Davao City are obviously invested in the ongoing developments related to the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in relation to his case of crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court,” Maglana said in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon.
“Let this be an opportunity for the rule of law to be observed – even though many victims of the crimes for which Duterte has been charged were not afforded this fundamental recourse.”
According to Maglana, “justice is best served when the means of justice exact accountability and also transform and heal.”
For its part, the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) also welcomed Duterte’s arrest.
“This marks a critical step toward justice and accountability for the thousands of victims, their families, and the human rights defenders who have long fought against state-sponsored killings,” it said in a statement.
For years, grieving families and human rights advocates, and concerned citizens have demanded justice for the extrajudicial killings and atrocities perpetrated by Duterte, the UPLM said.
“The ICC’s action validates these demands and reaffirms this: No one—no matter how powerful—is above the law. No political power or position should shield individuals from accountability for mass atrocities,” it said.
“We urge the Marcos Jr. administration against using this case as a political bargaining chip or a distraction from its own governance failures. Justice must not be manipulated for political gain. The victims and their families deserve nothing less than full, impartial accountability,” the group said.
Maglana and the UPLM released their statements as supporters of Duterte, including city government employees, trooped at the Rizal Park here to express their solidarity with him and questioned the arrest order issued by the ICC.
Vice Mayor J. Melchor Quitain, Jr., speaking to a crowd at the Rizal Park Tuesday afternoon, said the arrest was “unacceptable.”
Quitain claimed that the support amassed outside the City Hall was spontaneous.
The crowd chanted “Duterte! Duterte!”
In photographs and speeches, Davao City councilors allied with the Dutertes displayed their fists (a popular gesture associated with the Dutertes) and cheered on as they took turns speaking to the growing crowd.
Councilor Temujin Ocampo cried foul, but showed restraint. According to the former broadcaster, he was “tempted to curse during this speech as he was so angry at the morning’s events.”
Former President Duterte regularly cursed, at times during formal speeches and on live television and interviews. (Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews)
