HOUSE leaders see eye to eye with Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who had called on May 2025 election candidates not to fan the “flames of partisanship” amid former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s recent arrest on orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a press conference Wednesday, Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union and Assistant Majority Leaders Jude A. Acidre of Tingog Party-list and Jil Bongalon of Ako Bicol Party-list all agreed during Wednesday’s press conference that Duterte’s arrest for charges on crimes against humanity before the ICC shouldn’t be turned into a political issue for the purpose of boosting one’s chances in the upcoming polls.
To this, Acidre said: “For once, I would agree with the Senate President. Hindi po ito usapin ng tungkol kay President Duterte, hindi ito usapin ng kampo ng mga Duterte versus kanino. Ito po ay usapin ng krimen na nagawa, hindi ba?”
“Extrajudicial killings (EJKs) will always be illegal. It will always be against the law. ‘Di naman pwedeng ang fight against drugs, kailangan naman mamili. It cannot be a choice between justice and mercy. We have to apply the rule of law. And in this case, we cannot allow personalities to define the narrative, whether it’s pro or against,” he said.
Acidre reiterated that the focus should be on the victims of the EJKs and their families.
“Sila po dapat ang binibigyan natin ng pansin. Kung sino man ang kailangang managot sa pagpatay sa mga taong ito, sa mga biktima ng EJK, kailangang managot, ano man ang naging position niya sa gobyerno natin.”
The crimes against humanity charge was filed against Duterte before the ICC at The Hague, Netherlands in 2017. Ortega pointed out said that back then, none them were in Congress.
“Nag-a-agree talaga tayo diyan [kay Cong Acidre]. Kasi nga, nung ito ay mga kasong nahain, wala pa po kaming lahat dito sa 19th Congress. Nasa kanya kanyang mga buhay pa kami noon. Ako, Konsehal. Si Cong. Jude, nandito pero not as a congressman. Si Jil has been working in the province and practicing law,” Ortega recalled.
“So wala talagang…Yung decision na ito sabi ko nga seven years, wala pa kami lahat dito. So talagang parang kailangan nilang tignan maigi. Mahirap kasi pag ano eh, ‘pag gusto mo pabor lahat sayo. Hindi pwedeng pabor lahat sayo, dapat accountable ka for your actions. Hindi naman pwedeng mag hariharian ka na lang panghabang buhay. Kasi sabi ko nga, hindi natutulog ang hustisya. Bilog ang bola,” added Ortega.
Bongalon said that he also saw the wisdom in the appeal of his fellow Bicolano, Escudero.
“Yes, I totally agree on the statement of Senator Chiz Escudero not because he is my fellow kababayan, a Bicolano lawmaker, but also being a leader of the Senate and as a national figure we want to ask or request to our fellow Filipinos na huwag gawin itong isyu politika,” he said.
Alluding to the Marcoses and Dutertes, Bongalon said the issue shouldn’t be presented as “about two families who are quarreling,” but about achieving justice for the thousands of EJKs during the previous administration.
“It’s not about politics it’s not about two families who are quarreling. It’s about justice, it’s about vindication to the victims of EJKs so malayong-malayo po na mahaluan ito ng isyu politika sapagkat ang mithiin natin dito ay mabigyan ng hustiya yung mga biktima ng [EJKs] na kawawa and until now seeking justice for many years because of the bloody implementation of the war on drugs,” said the lawyer-legislator.
“So huwag gawin sanang isyung politikal at huwag din kung baga ‘wag ng i-sensationalize no, not because the former president was arrested it’s not about him it’s about the victims of the EJKs,” Bongalon said.
