Leila de Lima, a former senator, emphasized that the arrest of Former President Rodrigo Duterte was aimed at securing justice, not as an act of revenge.
“Today, Duterte is being made to answer—not to me, but to the victims, to their families, and to a world that refuses to forget. This is not about vengeance. This is about justice finally taking its course.” De Limsa said.
The former president was arrested on Tuesday after an ICC arrest warrant, according to the Presidential Communications Office. He is facing charges for his drug war campaign that caused thousands of deaths.
Official government statistics claimed that this figure was over 6,000; however, some human rights organizations claim the number may reach as high as 30,000 because so many cases went unreported.
A longstanding critic of Duterte, De Lima found herself elected senator in 2016, but from 2017 she was detained on drug-related charges regarding her time served as Justice Secretary. She said that the charges were politically motivated.
After nearly seven years in detention, the courts dismissed her cases in 2024. With Duterte now in custody, De Lima stressed the importance of accountability in that it is time for the victims and families to see justice served.
Duterte has yet to issue statements regarding his arrest.
