Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Representative Paolo Ortega has criticized former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea for what he described as “theatrics” during ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s preliminary trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.
In a statement on Sunday, March 16, Ortega accused Medialdea of failing to address the serious allegations surrounding the Duterte administration’s drug war and instead resorting to political grandstanding.
“Hindi pupuwede ang mga theatrics ni Medialdea sa ICC,” Ortega said. “The judge saw right through his statements. It even made him look amateurish when he tried to invoke political persecution instead of addressing the charges directly.”
The ICC is currently investigating the alleged crimes against humanity committed during the controversial drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Human rights groups estimate that thousands of individuals were killed in anti-drug operations, many of which lacked due process.
Ortega emphasized that the ICC is not a platform for political drama but a court of law where evidence and accountability should take center stage. The lawmaker also called on Duterte’s legal team to focus on proving his innocence within the ICC’s legal framework rather than through public relations campaigns.
“Tama na ang budolterte o pambubudol sa tao. Hindi ito eleksyon, hindi ito propaganda war, at mas lalong hindi ito fake news. Huwag gawing drama ang isang seryosong paglilitis,” Ortega said.
“No amount of political grandstanding can erase the fact that thousands were killed during the drug war without due process. The ICC is not a political arena but a court of law. Let Duterte’s lawyers prove his innocence there, not in press conferences,” he added.
Medialdea, who represented Duterte in the proceedings, has yet to respond to Ortega’s remarks. However, the former executive secretary previously maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, citing the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019. (TCSP)
