A woman blesses an urn
containing the ashes of victims killed during former Philippine president
Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs (AFP or licensors)
Filipino Bishops: Duterte’s arrest is step toward
accountability
The arrest and extradition of former Filipino President
Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague over his deadly 'war on drugs' meets with
widespread approval from the Catholic Church, human rights organisations and
the families of the victims.
By Lisa Zengarini
Bishops in the Philippines have welcomed the arrest earlier
this week of former President Rodrigo Duterte on charges of crimes against
humanity, saying it marks a step toward accountability and sets a precedent for
addressing human rights violations in the country.
The 'strongman' of the Philippines, who ruled the country
from 2016 to 2022, was taken into custody at Manila airport on March 11 by
Filipino authorities following the issuance of ICC warrant after a years-long
investigation into his notorious deadly “war on drugs”. A jet carrying
Duterte arrived in the Netherlands, on Wednesday, 12 March.
Duterte's deadly'war on drugs'
Duterte has long been accused of extrajudicial killings,
with thousands of alleged drug suspects, primarily young men from impoverished
communities, reportedly executed during his tenure often at the hands of rogue
police officers and hired gunmen. While official police records report more
than 6,200 extrajudicial killings, independent watchdogs estimate the actual
number to be significantly higher (between 12,000 and 30,000) with many urban
and poor drug users killed in mysterious circumstances.
The ICC investigation covers 2011-2019, which includes the
period when Duterte was mayor of Davao, where his family has held power for
decades.
Reactions
His forced extradition to The Hague, has been met with
widespread approval from the Catholic Church, human rights organizations and
the families of the victims, although his supporters see the arrest as an
unjust persecution of a leader who, in their view, made the country safer.
Supporters of former
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wait for his arrival at the Scheveningen
Prison following his arrest at the request of the International Criminal Court
in The Hague, Netherlands,
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of Caritas Philippines emphasized
that the killings under Duterte’s regime were not random acts of violence but
rather a systematic policy that undermined the fundamental right to life.
Complaints filed against Duterte at the ICC allege that he kept a "death
squad" to go after drug suspects in Davao, and later replicated this model
on a national scale when he was elected president.
Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan remarked that
Duterte’s arrest is a crucial move toward justice for the victims. “True
justice… is about accountability, transparency, and the protection of human
dignity,” he said.
The Bishop, who is also president of Caritas
Philippines. challenged the former President to stand by his past
declarations that he was prepared to face the consequences of his actions: “For
years Duterte has claimed that he is ready to face the consequences of his
actions. Now is the time for him to prove it,” he said.
Former President
Rodrigo Duterte
Need for truth, reparations, and justice for the victims
In a statement issued on March 11, the Catholic Church’s
humanitarian arm underscored the need for truth, reparations, and justice for
the victims. The statement called Duterte’s arrest a pivotal moment for the
country, urging the Filipino people to ensure that such crimes are never
repeated and that the rule of law prevails
During Duterte’s presidency the Church in the Philippines
had repeatedly voiced bold criticism against the brutality of his crackdown on
drugs.
His arrest does not mean he is guilty, but Bishop Broderick
Pabillo of Taytay said the crimes happened under the former leader’s watch must
be investigated.
“That is what democracy should be—no one is above the
law, and everyone must answer for their actions,” he told Manila
Archdiocese-run Radio Veritas.
A crucial step toward accountability in the Philippines
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch echoed these sentiments, describing the arrest as a
crucial step toward accountability in the Philippines.
Duterte previously insisted that the ICC has no jurisdiction
over the Philippines, since he pulled the country out of the tribunal in 2019,
three years after it took note of the drug war's rising death toll. But, as explained
by activist lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, cited by Uca News, according to the Rome Statute that is the basis
for the ICC, the court maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed
before a nation leaves the tribunal.
(Souces Uca News, Cbcpnews and news agencies)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét