By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday welcomed the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte, calling it a long-awaited moment for the families of thousands killed during his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“Dumating na ang araw na hinihintay ng mga pamilya ng libo-libong Pilipino na napatay sa madugong ‘tokhang’ ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte (The day that families of thousands of Filipinos who were killed in the bloody ‘tokhang’ of former president Rodrigo Duterte have been waiting for has arrived),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
Tokhang, or Oplan Tokhang (Operational Plan Tuktok Hangyo), is the Duterte administration’s program wherein authorities conduct house-to-house visits on people suspected of involvement in illegal drug use and trade.
Hontiveros urged Duterte to honor his previous commitment, made under oath, to face the charges against him before the ICC.
“Sana, bilang abugado, siya ay sumunod sa mga proseso nito (Hopefully, as a lawyer, he will follow its processes),” she said.
Hontiveros is hopeful the current administration will fully cooperate with the ICC and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), ensuring that due process and accountability take their course.
“I also hope that Malacañang will honor its word and accede to all requests of the ICC, through the Interpol, and ensure that justice will run its full course,” she said, noting that Tokhang-related deaths were not the work of one man alone.
She expressed hope that the ICC’s action would mark the beginning of a broader pursuit of justice against all government officials and personnel responsible for the killings.
The ICC has been investigating the alleged crimes against humanity linked to Duterte’s illegal drugs war, which, according to human rights groups, led to thousands of extrajudicial killings. (PNA)
