Keep calm about Duterte’s arrest, Jinggoy Estrada tells Filipinos

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada —File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada called on Filipinos to remain calm following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement released shortly after Duterte’s arrest on Tuesday, Estrada said Filipinos must refrain from engaging in any form of violence, spreading misinformation, or taking actions that may only further polarize the Philippines.

“Like any Filipino citizen, former President Duterte is entitled to legal recourse, and as a lawyer, he knows the proper steps to take. I trust that his rights will be respected and protected,” Estrada said.

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Duterte arrested by PNP after ICC issues warrant

“Our justice system is strong and working. That’s why I believe that the case will go through proper proceedings in accordance with existing laws,” he added in Filipino.

Duterte arrived in Manila from Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. Upon his arrival, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant against the former president for his alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s drug war.

READ: VP Sara Duterte departs for The Hague to join her father

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency listed 6,252 dead in anti-drug police operations from July 1, 2016, to May 31, 2022.

A 2017 year-end report attributed to the Office of the President, however, listed more than 20,000 dead in just the first 17 months of the Duterte administration.