Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano Speaks on Call for Duterte’s House Arrest
ALAN PETER CAYETANO – The Senator appealed to his fellow senators to support the call for the house arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The arrest and the transfer of the custody of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte to the International Criminal Court or ICC undeniably caused political turmoil in the Philippine government. Even the government officials have different stands on the controversial turn of events last March 11.
The Philippine authorities who assisted the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) arrested Duterte upon his arrival from Hong Kong. On the same day of the arrest, the former President was flown to Dubai en route for The Hague, Netherlands.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his final wish before his death amid his ICC detention. According to former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Duterte wants to return to his house in Davao and pass away there. Roque called on the Filipinos to move fast citing the advanced age of the former President.
The camp of former Pres. Duterte applied for his interim release to the ICC but the court has yet to issue a decision over their request. According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, a “third country” has committed to host the interim release of her father if the ICC grants it but she refused to reveal which country is willing to host the former President’s interim release.
Amid the alleged willingness of another country to host the interim release of the former President, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte admitted that she prefers a house arrest for her father in Davao City. Recently, the Senate voted on a resolution asking the chamber to call for the house arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
One of the sponsors of the said Senate resolution was Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. The chamber accepted the resolution following a 15-3-2 voting. Four senators were absent during the votation.
According to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, the call for Duterte’s house arrest is allegedly an appeal for humanitarian treatment. He stressed that the former President has yet to be convicted of any crime.
“Can you imagine how President Duterte is coping now? Ang appeal lang po is humanitarian treatment, and we do it as a country. One thing we don’t want to see the former President suffer as if it is a punishment when he has not been convicted. That is not only for him but for us, the nation,” Cayetano said.
Based on the post. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano also claimed that he cannot imagine what the country will do if something happens to former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte during his ICC detention.
“I cannot imagine what the country will do if something… happens with him in the detention center at wala man tayong nagawa,” he said.
Aside from Cayetano, another senator who supported the resolution is Sen. Bong Go who stressed that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is more than a father to him.