(Official Facebook page of Rody Duterte)
MANILA, Philippines – The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte who is facing charges before the International Crimin;aCourt (ICC) is an attack on Philippine sovereignty, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said on Thursday.
In a statement, Go — who served as Duterte’s former close aide —condemned the arrest of the former president, adding that he emphasized that the country’s legal institutions remain fully capable of handling domestic matters and that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country’s internal affairs.
“The issuance of the warrant of arrest by the ICC is an affront to the sovereignty of the Philippines. As I have reiterated before, the ICC should not interfere with our domestic affairs. And that is because, aside from the fact that we are no longer a member of the ICC, our domestic courts remain fully operational and independent,” said Go.
He noted that cases have already been filed and that there’s an ongoing investigation by the Executive Branch and Congress regarding the matter.
“Sabi nga ng dating pangulo, handa naman siyang harapin ang anumang asunto laban sa kanya basta kapwa niya Pilipino ang maghuhusga sa kanya,” said Go.
(The former president already said that he is ready to face whatever cases will be filed against him as long as it is a fellow Filipino who would conduct the trial.)
Go urged the public to remain calm and allow the legal process to take its course.
“At sa ating mga kababayan, umaapela ako na maging mahinahon tayo. Ayaw nating magkagulo dahil ang kawawa dito ay ang mga Pilipino. Hayaan natin ang mga legal na proseso na gumulong, basta kung ano lang ang tama at legal ayon sa mga batas ng Pilipinas. Please pray for Tatay Digong’s safety and health.”
(And to my fellow Filipinos, I am appealing to you all to remain calm. We don’t want chaos because it would be us, Filipinos, who would also suffer. Let us let the legal process take its course, as long as it remains in line with Philippine laws. Please pray for Tatay Digong’s safety and health.)
Duterte was served an arrest warrant from the ICC upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong on March 11.
The arrest warrant was issued on the grounds of alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s war on drugs.