AT least 19 lawmakers, including Former President and incumbent House Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, filed a resolution on Thursday expressing their support for former President Rodrigo Duterte against the investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In their resolution, the lawmakers claimed that Duterte’s presidency “has ushered remarkable accomplishments brought about by his relentless campaign against illegal drugs, insurgency, separatism and terrorism, corruption in government and criminality thus making the life of every Filipino better, comfortable and peaceful.”
Furthermore, they argued that the country’s peace and order situation “considerably improved” because of the Duterte administration’s “holistic and whole of nation approach” in ending insurgency and curbing the “drug menace” nationwide.
The lawmakers claimed that this has led to “unprecedented growth” in the country’s exports and investments.
They also noted that the country has a “functioning and independent” judicial system.
“Now, therefore, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved, that the House of Representatives declares unequivocal defense of Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines, in any investigation and/or prosecution by the ICC,” the resolution read.
The authors of the resolution are: Representatives Carmelo B. Lazatin II, Aurelio D. Gonzales, Anna York Bondoc-Sagum, Jose C. Alvarez, Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, Richard I. Gomez, Wilton T. Kho, Loreto S. Amante, Edward S. Hagedorn, Edwin L. Olivarez, Eric M. Martinez and Eduardo R. Rama Jr.
Representatives Dale B. Corvera, Zaldy S. Villa, Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes G. Matibag, Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo, Johnny Ty Pimentel and Marlyn L. Primicias-Agabas were also authors of the resolution.
Earlier, the Philippine government, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), filed a notice of appeal before the International Criminal Court (ICC)-Appeals Chamber seeking the reversal of the January 26 Pre-Trial Chamber’s (PTC) decision authorizing the resumption of the investigation on the abuses and deaths related to the anti-illegal drug of the Duterte administration. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/02/09/philippines-appeals-resumption-of-icc-probe-into-deaths-during-anti-drugs-ops/)
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila
