Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s preliminary look passed off on Friday, 14 March 2025, at 14:00 hours (The Hague native time), earlier than Pre-Trial Chamber I of the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (“ICC” or “Courtroom”). ©ICC-CPI
MANILA, Philippines — The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), a supporter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, on Friday stated the native justice system was working and that he needs to be tried within the nation to uphold Philippine sovereignty.
“We’re not saying the previous president shouldn’t be tried for the accusations towards him,” INC spokesperson Edwin Zabala stated in an interview on the sect’s tv station Web 25. “Our stand is that the INC believes within the integrity and functionality of our judiciary to resolve these issues.”
READ: Factors of rivalry: Int’l regulation specialists’ views on Duterte ICC case
No give up
Duterte was flown to The Hague and surrendered by Philippine authorities to the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) final week to face trial for crimes towards humanity for the hundreds of alleged victims of extrajudicial killings in his drug struggle.
Malacañang stated the transfer to carry him to The Hague was legitimate and authorized, citing the nation’s personal regulation penalizing crimes towards humanity and the Rome Statute which created the ICC which we had been a member of earlier than Duterte ordered the nation’s withdrawal that grew to become efficient in March 2019. (See associated story on this web page)
“No matter is correct and no matter is in our legal guidelines, that ought to prevail. This shouldn’t be twisted to swimsuit the will of anybody,” Zabala stated, with out figuring out the particular person of group he was referring to.
“The regulation is the inspiration that retains order in our nation. If the regulation is ignored it results in dysfunction, feuds and injustice,” he added. “That’s why we should always not give up our nation’s sovereignty to others.”
The INC held large rallies calling for “unity” across the nation in January because it opposed plans to question Vice President Sara Duterte, following her bitter breakup with President Marcos and the collapse of their vaunted “Uniteam” that swept the polls in 2022.
The rallies, nonetheless, didn’t cease an awesome majority of the Home of Representatives to proceed along with her impeachment the following month. She will likely be tried by the Senate in July, in response to Senate President Francis Escudero.
READ: ICC EXPLAINER: Nice factors within the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte
Catholic name to prayer
On the Archdiocese of Manila, Archbishop Jose Advincula known as on Catholics to hope an “oratio imperata for the nation” in all Lots beginning subsequent week, saying the nation was in “a time of disaster, battle and confusion” and on the “turning level of historical past.”
He made the decision in a one-page round on Friday addressed to the clergy and neighborhood of consecrated individuals within the archdiocese, which additionally covers Mandaluyong Metropolis, San Juan Metropolis, most of Pasay Metropolis, and elements of Taguig Metropolis and Quezon Metropolis.
The oratio imperata will likely be prayed each day after the postcommunion prayer in all Lots beginning the Third Sunday of Lent on March 23, together with the anticipated Mass on March 22.
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“We’ve witnessed emotionally intense occasions and discourses within the nation’s political spectrum. We’ve heard totally different opinions and viewpoints on numerous platforms. Our nation is in a time of disaster, battle and confusion,” he stated.
