Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday explained his vote in favor of Senate Resolution No. 144, which urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to place former President Rodrigo Duterte under house arrest on humanitarian grounds.
The resolution was adopted on October 1 with 15 senators voting in favor, three against, and two abstaining. Cayetano, one of the original authors of a similar measure filed earlier, said his support was anchored on the principles of justice and humanitarian treatment.
“Iba ang vengeance sa justice. Ang vengeance is an emotional impulse of someone who is a victim of injustice. In Tagalog, gusto niyang gantihan. Ang justice, hustisya, ay well-defined sa international community and I know that as a former Secretary of Foreign Affairs,” Cayetano said.
He emphasized that the measure was not about reopening debates on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, but about ensuring fairness consistent with international human rights conventions signed by the Philippines.
“Ang hustisya po ay bulag. Nakatakip po yung mata para nga walang makita [at maging patas],” he said, stressing that due process and humanitarian treatment are central to true justice.
Cayetano concluded his vote explanation by thanking his colleagues: “I vote yes Mr. President and I thank our colleagues for putting this on the floor.”
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