Rody loyalists call for people power

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque yesterday urged supporters of Rodrigo Duterte to gather at EDSA to protest against the former president's arrest, which he said violates the country's sovereignty and constitutional provisions on judicial power.

- MARK ERNEST VILLEZA

Roque, in an interview with One News, said that the gathering would serve as a means to exercise democratic rights and oppose what he called an unconstitutional arrest.

"We are calling on people to exercise their democratic rights to make their voices heard. What is at stake here is not just the rights of former president Duterte, but the rights of all Filipinos as a sovereign nation," Roque said in Filipino.

He argued that allowing a foreign tribunal to prosecute alleged crimes committed within the Philippines undermines the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Reiterating his stance that Duterte’s arrest is unconstitutional, Roque cited the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2019.

“It’s very clear that we are no longer a member of the ICC. The preliminary investigation by the ICC prosecutor was conducted after the second year of our withdrawal,” Roque said.

Additionally, Roque questioned the cooperation extended by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in carrying out the arrest, labeling it unconstitutional.

Roque revealed that he and Duterte’s legal team are filing petitions for habeas corpus and certiorari before the courts to challenge the legality of the former president’s detention.

“A habeas corpus petition because the ICC’s warrant is not a legal basis for arrest, and a certiorari petition because the cooperation of President (Marcos) and the PNP constitutes grave abuse of discretion,” he explained.

Roque also dismissed claims that the Interpol Red Notice against Duterte justifies his arrest.

“That’s absolute stupidity. A Red Notice is not an international warrant of arrest,” he said.

He further argued that there is no treaty or law requiring the Philippines to treat Red Notices as arrest warrants.