The Makabayan bloc denounced former President Rodrigo Duterte’s letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it a “shameless display of arrogance” and proof of his disregard for the thousands of victims of the bloody war on drugs.
In its statement, Makabayan described Duterte’s letter as “pure theater”—part defiance, part self-pity, but entirely unrepentant.
The progressive solons stressed that while Duterte boasts of his “legacy,” thousands of families continue to mourn loved ones killed under his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Makabayan also criticized Duterte’s refusal to attend his confirmation of charges hearing, branding it “cowardice dressed up as principle.”
They emphasized that it was his administration’s systematic policy of extrajudicial killings that brought him before the ICC.
The bloc further noted the irony of Duterte portraying himself as a victim, when he presided over a regime that “kidnapped” Filipinos from their right to life, justice, and due process.
“We find it particularly galling that Duterte portrays himself as a victim, speaking of kidnapping and rendition, when he presided over a regime that kidnapped thousands of Filipinos from their right to life, to due process, and to justice. His victims were not given the luxury of legal counsel, of fair hearings, or of old age in prison cells. They were summarily executed in the streets, in their homes, and in police stations across the country,” Makabayan said.
“The Filipino people deserve justice and recognition of their pain. No amount of drama or appeals to patriotism can erase the blood on Duterte’s hands,” Makabayan declared. (JCNE)
