Press Release
April 15, 2018

DUTERTE SHOULD STOP ACTING LIKE A MARCOS COPYCAT

*Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on President Duterte's order to arrest ICC prosecutor

Arrest International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda? Why, is she accused and guilty of high crimes? Is she involved in the systemic and large-scale killing of people? Did she made numerous public statements in favor of extrajudicial killings? Did she influence and command state security forces to inflict unjust and extreme violence against the public? Did she shield extrajudicial killers from calls of justice and accountability?

As far as I know, it is President Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts who are charged before the ICC with crimes against humanity. It would be good for President Duterte to stop making outrageous statements in an attempt to deflect the serious charges lodged against him and discredit the ICC. He is only making himself look more and more guilty in the eyes of the public. If the President thinks he is innocent of the accusations, then there is nothing to fear.

And besides, President Duterte cannot order anyone arrested. Our Constitution reserves that power for our judges. The President has no power to issue "Executive warrants." They ceased to exist when we toppled the Marcos dictatorship. President Duterte should stop throwing due process into disarray and acting like a Marcos copycat.

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