Two House Representatives, Zia Alonto Adiong and Jude Acidre, urged the public to concentrate on the victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the context of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) move to arrest former President Rodrigo Duterte.
They emphasized that the case transcends Duterte and centers on the thousands of EJK victims denied justice.
“The ICC case is not about Duterte—it is about the victims,” Adiong and Acidre said in a joint statement. “For years, families of the slain have cried out for justice. They buried their children, their fathers, their brothers, with no accountability for their deaths.”
The lawmakers highlighted the families’ years of suffering and the need for accountability, citing specific cases like Kian delos Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz, and Reynaldo ‘Kulot’ de Guzman, who became symbols of the drug war’s brutality.
Former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog viewed Duterte’s arrest as a pivotal moment for justice and national healing.
In a statement, he encouraged those who lived in fear to maintain faith in justice. Mabilog reflected on his own struggles and detailed his experience of political persecution under Duterte, including threats to his life, and his subsequent flight to the United States.
Tagum City Vice Mayor Allan Rellon meanwhile expressed gratitude to former President Duterte for his contributions to the city’s safety.
He cited the overwhelming surrender of over 4,000 drug dependents shortly after Duterte took office. Rellon, then mayor of Tagum, established a community-based rehabilitation program to assist these individuals, providing physical, psychological, medical, and financial support. He credited Duterte’s “magic” for transforming lives and creating a safer community.
The United Moro and Indigenous People Movement in Mindanao condemned Duterte’s arrest, calling it a “dark chapter” and an attack on democracy and fundamental rights.
Following Duterte’s arrest, supporters gathered in Rizal Park in Davao City, Freedom Park in Tagum City, and Surigao for prayer rallies.