Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri is dismayed at how former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and flown straight to The Hague by Philippine authorities.
According to Zubiri, Duterte should have at least been given a chance to consult with his lawyers and prepare his defense before being whisked off to the Netherlands to face drug war related charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Ikinalulungkot ko ang sistema ng pagka-aresto kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at ang daliang pagdala sa kanya sa The Hague. Sana man lang ay pinayagan siyang makipagpulong sa kanyang mga abugado at maghanda ng depensa bago siya dinala doon,” Zubiri said in a Facebook post on March 22.
“Regardless of political differences, we cannot ignore the contributions he has made to the country,” he said.
Zubiri meanwhile called for clearer rules on handling cases like this, considering Duterte’s situation might not be the last. He cited the need to balance the country’s international duties and the protection of Filipinos’ rights.
“Ngayon kailangan nating linawin ang mga proseso sa ganitong klaseng mga kaso, lalo na’t malaki ang posibilidad na hindi ito ang huling pagkakataon na haharap tayo sa ganitong uri ng sitwasyon,” he said.
“Moving forward, we need to be very clear on how we handle situations like this – balancing our international commitments with protecting the rights of any Filipino facing an international case,” he added.
0 Comments