Sen. Bam Aquino on Wednesday defended his controversial statement that cases tied to alleged extrajudicial killings should ideally be tried in Philippine courts, while stressing respect for the International Criminal Court (ICC) process.
“If our justice system were stronger and better able to handle these matters, there would likely be a time when such cases could be tried in the Philippines. However, because of our current institutional weaknesses, it appears that victims of alleged extrajudicial killings may find justice through other avenues,” Aquino said.
He also responded to criticism from former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and others by saying differing views are normal in a free society and should not be framed as political betrayal or shifting loyalty.
“What we fought for during People Power was freedom, the right for every person to have a voice, and democracy. Just because you align with a certain group does not mean you must always take the same stance. We all have our own perspectives,” Aquino said.
The senator added that cooperation across political divides on priorities such as education funding, transparency measures, and public infrastructure only shows practical governance and does not signal ideological realignment.
According to him, political alliances should be based on serving public needs, adding that lawmakers from different political camps have supported similar policy initiatives in recent votes.
“Politics has its proper time, and there will be a natural moment for that. It has not even been a year since the last election. For now, we focus on work,” Aquino concluded.
