No due process? Robredo says De Lima's detention far from Duterte's ICC arrest

Manila Bulletin

Former vice president Leni Robredo cannot help but compare the arrest and detention faced by former senator Leila de Lima and former president Rodrigo Duterte. (Video courtesy of Leila de Lima / FB)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/15/no-due-process-robredo-says-de-lima-s-detention-far-from-duterte-arrest  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00I'll just be very brief. I think there's a lot of laws. And when I look at it, when I look at it, that's domestic law.

00:13And in fact, that domestic law is an act on the crimes against international humanitarian law, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

00:26They passed that law even before I became a member of the NLCC in 2001.

00:36And in 2011, because our law was in 2009, and in 2011 was the statute, which is an international treaty.

00:46It is clear, if I may say so myself, that the government is the one who is giving to the international tribunal.

01:00Ah, Tagalog. I'm sorry, Tagalog.

01:02Manila was here in that law, domestic law, that our Philippine authorities, our government, can defer to an international tribunal

01:20and can surrender the subject of the investigation dito sa ati to the international court.

01:31So, an international court, ICC, was the one who investigated the alleged crimes against humanity involving the former president.

01:45And it's also the international criminal court that issued the warrant of release.

01:53Now, in cooperation with the Interpol, the Filipino government surrendered Mr. Duterte to the ICC.

02:04So, I don't see any shortcomings in the law. I don't see any flaws in the law.

02:12And I said that, the case of Pamilina de Pal v. Cayetano.

02:17We are clear in that ruling, unanimous ruling, and the Supreme Court did that,

02:24that even if the Philippines was withdrawn already from the law statute for ICC,

02:34the ICC retains jurisdiction over the alleged crimes that were committed during the time that we were still members.

02:45So, itungko din sa due process, the race again is now actually undergoing or being given, being accorded due process now before the ICC.

02:58You saw the initial proceedings last night. Thank you.

03:05Siguro, hindi ko na-discuss yung legalities kasi sinagot ko.

03:12Pero, parang I cannot help but compare yung sitwasyon ngayon,

03:18yung dating pangulong Duterte sa kanilang sitwasyon ay Senator Laila before.

03:25Alam natin kung ano yung pinagdaanan niya.

03:32She was incarcerated for almost 7 years on trump up charges.

03:39Hindi niya kulisyon yung due process.

03:44She had to go through everything.

03:47So kahit, kahit mali yung mga paratang sa kanya, lahat niya yung hinarap.

03:54Lahat niya yung hinarap, at in the end, she was proven correct.

04:00Na talagang, talagang wala siyang kasalanan, kaya nga siya nakalabas.

04:05Pero ako kasi, pero sa akin, mas on a more personal level.

04:11Kasi nakita ko yung sitwasyon niya eh.

04:13Nakita ko yung sitwasyon niya na malayo sa sitwasyon ngayon.

04:18Pagkalimbawa, yung binibisita ko siya,

04:21eh kasi, ewan ko lang kung sinusunod nila yung dapat,

04:27pero yung nakalagay, meron siyang computer,

04:32meron siyang maayos sa panyang palagayan,

04:35he can freely roam around,

04:38merong mga conjugal and family visits ng FD Entertainment, maluwag.

04:46Yung kay Senator Lila nun, hindi talaga gano'n.

04:50Ay, yung kay Senator Lila nun, ay, yung kwarto niya,

04:54talagang sobrang, sobrang wikip, na sobrang inip,

05:00walang care condition, may electric fan laman siya,

05:05ayun, na wala na nga ng kuryente, may electric fan laman siya,

05:08pero she did not have access to a computer.

05:13Senator siya nun, sinusulat na lahat.

05:16Yung nagkatrabaho siya as Senator, pero wala siyang access sa computer,

05:20wala siyang access sa telepono, wala siyang access sa internet,

05:25nabigyan lang siya ng, nabigyan lang siya ng,

05:30nabigyan lang siya ng karampata na pwede siyang manuod ng movies,

05:34after, after a long time,

05:37tapos pwede lang siyang manuod on the Saturdays,

05:41every Saturday afternoon, 1 to 5,

05:45pero yung papanuorin niya, isasabit niya muna,

05:49isasabit niya muna, at yun yung ilaload,

05:54yun yung ilaload ng polis, at yun yung pwede niyang panuorin.

05:59So, pagpupunta nga kami, nagpaparecommend pa siya kung ano yung mga mapapanuod,

06:04nililis na niya, diba, yung mga K-drama,

06:09sabi ko kung 1 to 5, hindi mo pa matatapos, so papuntok-puntok.

06:13So, ang gusto ko lang nito sabihin na,

06:16she had to endure all of that,

06:19kasi sinunod na yung due process.

06:22Um, hinarap na yung charges against her,

06:25no matter how,

06:29no matter how difficult and unfair those charges were,

06:34kahit obvious na political harassment,

06:38hinarap niya.

06:40And, every time magbibisita kami nung run or hunding pang,

06:45hunding pang mamatay, kasi na-hostage siya.

06:49Nung, kung naalala nyo, yung incident na yun,

06:52pinasok siya.

06:54Pinasok siya sa kwarto niya nung hostage taken.

06:59Kaya di ko naman sabihin na nakapatulong pa siya nung pinasok siya.

07:04So, ang gusto ko lang sabihin,

07:07pinagdaanan niya ito.

07:09And, naging patient siya,

07:12kasi alam niya may prosesong sinusunod.

07:15Um, yun lang.

07:17Yung lahat-lahat na sinasabi ngayon,

07:20ano ito eh,

07:22first step towards accountability, justice,

07:26na pinagdaanan na ni Senkai lang.

07:29Kaya, all this talk about everything that's happening,

07:34about due process, about how unfair everything is.

07:38Lagi kong, lagi kong nababalik ko sa sitwasyon ko.

07:49Ano nga, at least I'm as general,

07:52kasi when you talk of due process,

07:54but Senator Laila kasi, ayun,

07:57ni Senator Laila kasi, ang tugung-tulungan eh.

08:01So, ang bawat natin na may unfairness sa lahat,

08:05may prosesong sinusunod.

08:07May prosesong sinusunod,

08:09at siya, naging willing siyang saglit yung prosesong.

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