Risa Hontiveros on Duterte arrest: ‘Day of reckoning has begun’

Risa Hontiveros —SENATE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INFORMATION BUREAU

MANILA, Philippines — The day of reckoning for former President Rodrigo Duterte has begun, said opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

She made the remark on Tuesday following the former president’s arrest on an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged crimes against humanity.

Hontiveros, a staunch Duterte critic, said she is holding him to his promise that he would willingly face the case before the ICC.

READ: Rodrigo Duterte: ICC warrant served, former president under police custody

“The day that the families of thousands of Filipinos killed in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody tokhang have been waiting for has arrived,” said Hontiveros in a statement on Tuesday.

But while she welcomes the development, the lawmaker noted that the thousands of Filipinos killed during the drug war were not “murdered” by one man alone.

READ: Rodrigo Duterte in custody: Former president’s ally, netizens react

“I hope this is just a start in terms of seeking accountability from government officials who are responsible for the killings of the innocent and helpless,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hontiveros said she is hoping that Malacanang will honor its word and accede to all requests of the ICC, through the International Criminal Police Organization otherwise known as the Interpol, and ensure that justice will run its full course.

Duterte arrived in Manila from HongKong on Tuesday morning. Upon his arrival, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant against him for his alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s drug war.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency listed 6,252 dead in anti-drug police operations from July 1, 2016 to May 31, 2022.

A 2017 year end report attributed to the Office of the President, however, listed more than 20,000 dead in the first 17 months alone of the Duterte administration.