Team DailyPedia
Senator Robin Padilla said he was deeply saddened after learning that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had named two of his fellow minority senators as alleged indirect co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
In a radio interview, Padilla admitted his emotional reaction to the development.
“Naiyak po talaga ako, kasi papaano na ito, sino pang kasama ko sa Senado kapag itong dalawang to nabigyan pa ng warrant of arrest edi ako na lang mag-isa,” he said.
Padilla was referring to Senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa, who were identified by ICC prosecutors among eight alleged indirect co-perpetrators in the case.
“Hindi po ba depressing yun?” he added.
Padilla also shared that he immediately reached out to Go after learning of the ICC development.
According to him, Go responded briefly: “Bakit ako naidamay dito?”
The ICC has been investigating alleged crimes against humanity connected to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, which faced international scrutiny over reports of thousands of killings during police operations.
Aside from Go and Dela Rosa, the list of alleged indirect co-perpetrators identified by ICC prosecutors includes former police chiefs Vicente Danao, the late Camilo Cascolan, and Oscar Albayalde; former National Bureau of Investigation chief Dante Gierran; former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Isidro Lapeña; and former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
As of writing, Dela Rosa has yet to issue a statement regarding the matter.
Padilla said he also coordinated with Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to discuss possible steps moving forward.
He appealed to the government not to allow Filipinos to be tried abroad.
“Are we really going to hand over our fellow countrymen to foreigners? I am appealing to our government to please put a stop to this,” Padilla said.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson described the development as saddening, noting that it involved sitting senators. He added that if arrest warrants are issued, it would be up to the executive branch whether it would adopt the same approach taken in the case of the former president.
Padilla’s statement that he felt “depressed” drew attention online, as it comes days after he received criticism for calling today’s youth “weak” and saying that the term “depression” was not commonly used during his generation.
Despite this, Padilla emphasized that he did not simply “sit down and cry,” saying he immediately contacted his colleagues to offer assistance and discuss their next steps as members of the Senate minority.
