• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the local Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) gears up for protest actions in Negros Occidental to show support for their arrested leader, former President Rodrigo Duterte, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, called on Negrenses to trust government institutions in carrying out their responsibilities with fairness and impartiality.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 12, Benitez, president of the Negros Association of Chief Executives, recognized the weight of recent national events, including the legal proceedings involving Duterte.
“Moments like these remind us of the fundamental principles that uphold our democracy: respect for human rights, due process, and the rule of law,” he said.
Benitez added: “We call on our fellow Negrosanons to remain engaged, but also focused on the bigger picture. Let us channel our energies into meaningful dialogue and collective action, ensuring that our province continues to move forward.”
“Together, we reaffirm our commitment to democracy, human rights, peace, and the shared responsibility of building a stronger nation,” he further said.
In a separate statement, former Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, the chairman of PDP Negros Island Region, said they are in a meeting with their national party leaders on how to sustain the protest action in connection with the arrest of Duterte.
Duterte is now on his way to The Hague in the Netherlands after he was arrested by the Philippine National Police on Tuesday after Malacañang said it received an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity.
The ICC sought Duterte’s arrest in relation to alleged extrajudicial killings during his stint as president, from 2016 to 2022, that killed more than 6,000 people, based on police data.
“We have to have a sustained protest actions,” Palanca, who is the gubernatorial candidate of PDP in Negros Occidental, said.
He reported that Duterte supporters in Negros have started to hold “sympathy gathering” by converging on Wednesday in Bacolod City as well as in northern and southern Negros key areas.
“This is no longer a concern of PDP. This is a concern of the Filipino people,”Palanca said.
In a statement, Bayan Negros said the arrest of Duterte for crimes against humanity is a welcome, but long overdue step toward justice.
“The ICC arrest is just the beginning. Duterte must be convicted, and all those who carried out his orders, especially those still seating in power, must be held accountable,” it added. | GB
