Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday stressed the need for fairness and due process in the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC), asserting that the issue is about upholding justice and the rule of law.
“Ang tama ay tama, at ang mali ay mali,” the senator said in a Facebook live session on March 15, 2025.
“‘Pag tama ang ginagawa ng gobyerno, I not only agree but support. Pero ‘pag mali, I try to do my best na iparating that we can do it better,” he added.
Cayetano raised concerns about the ICC’s process, warning that it could lead to serious consequences beyond Duterte’s case.
“Can you imagine if they issue a warrant tapos bigla na lang you don’t have a remedy of going to court? Biglang 20 generals, 20 lieutenants, 50 colonels, at ilang Secretary ng gobyerno ang biglang dadalhin doon. That’s a possibility,” he said.
He also questioned the fairness of the proceedings, saying Duterte was not given enough time to defend himself.
“He did not have a chance to confront his witnesses, the witnesses against him. He does not know when he got there, kung ano ang kaso, at ano ang mga evidence,” he said.
Cayetano urged Filipinos to be aware of the issue and take a stand – not out of loyalty to any political figure but in defense of due process and national sovereignty.
“The more we show them na better ang human rights sa Pilipinas, better ang case natin na mali na isinakay na lang siya sa eroplano at dinala doon [sa Netherlands],” he said.
“This is such a big injustice — not to him but to the Filipino people,” he added.
