House leaders hail Duterte arrest as 'victory for justice'

Members of the majority and minority blocs of the House of Representatives lauded the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte yesterday following a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the move as a “pivotal moment” in the country’s pursuit of justice.

- JOSE RODEL CLAPANO

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, lead chairman of the House quad committee, said Duterte’s arrest would restore public trust in the justice system, and serve as a reminder that lawbreakers will be held accountable and tried in court.

The quad comm has conducted a comprehensive investigation into Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of victims, some of them innocent civilians.

“It is a proof that in our country, under the Bagong Pilipinas, there is no one above the law. The arrest of former president Duterte is one step towards justice for the families of those lost lives due to EJKs (extrajudicial killings),” Barbers said in a statement.

Barbers said the former president’s arrest can be seen as a potential healing catalyst for families, whose loved ones unjustifiably became statistics for EJKs.

“The first step towards healing is to correct the wrong and by giving justice to the victims,” Barbers said.

Likewise, senior deputy speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and deputy majority leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union said Duterte had it coming after his reign of impunity.

“Justice has no expiration date. The thousands of lives lost in the bloody war on drugs deserve to be remembered, and the arrest of the former president is a testament that impunity will never be permanent,” Ortega said.

“The ICC operates based on evidence, not politics. This is not about partisanship – this is about justice, accountability, and upholding human rights,” Gonzales noted.

Meanwhile, in a joint statement, assistant majority leaders Pammy Zamora of Taguig, Jay Khonghun of Zambales and Jil Bongalon of Ako Bicol party-list described Duterte’s arrest as “a victory for justice and accountability.”