Photo courtesy: Kahimyang Project
AKBAYAN Partylist leaders today warned former president Rodrigo Duterte to prepare for the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants, following the court’s issuance of warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.
Akbayan lawmaker Perci Cendaña urged Duterte to ready his luggage. “Simulan ng mag-impake ni Duterte tutal naman siya na rin nagsabi na gusto niyang makapunta sa The Hague. We think that he should pack a huge suitcase—simulan na rin niyang tignan ang ICC detention facility bilang kanyang retirement home,” Cendaña said.
Akbayan First Nominee Atty. Chel Diokno noted that the ICC is tightening its grip on the world’s tyrants and mass murderers. “If Netanyahu and Gallant are not immune, then neither is Duterte,” Diokno said.
Diokno stressed that Duterte’s boastful challenges to the ICC may soon catch up with him. “Duterte’s dare for the ICC to arrest him may soon become reality. The issuance of warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant shows that pending cases, including his, are progressing. The world is watching, and we will not let his thousands of victims be forgotten,” Diokno said.
Cendaña added that accountability is inevitable. “Duterte may have dodged local accountability with his allies shielding him, but justice has a long arm. The ICC proves that no leader is too powerful to face the consequences of their crimes.”
In September 2021, the ICC authorized an investigation into crimes against humanity under Duterte’s bloody drug war, covering November 2011 to March 2019. Despite the Philippine government’s non-cooperation, the Department of Justice has stated it will not block Interpol from arresting ICC suspects under its agreement with the court. #
