Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon said supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte should accept the possibility that Duterte may die while under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Gadon made the statement in connection with the crime against humanity case being faced by the former president. Duterte earlier said he had accepted his fate should he die while in custody.
In an interview with Brigada News FM Manila, Gadon said the public and Duterte’s supporters should avoid acting impulsively or engaging in dramatic reactions over the situation.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding the interpretation of the word “kill” in Duterte’s past statements, which former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo had defended as meaning to “pursue and imprison.”
Gadon rejected that interpretation, saying the term cannot be explained as merely pursuing or jailing suspects. He said judges at the ICC are not obligated to accept alternative defenses if there is evidence from victims and their families supporting the alleged crimes.
The adviser added that political motives or claims that the former president was only meant to be neutralized would not affect ICC proceedings. According to Gadon, the case is centered on concrete evidence and on acts that allegedly occurred during the previous administration.
The ICC case against Duterte involves allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the government’s anti-drug campaign. Proceedings and legal arguments continue to draw public attention and reactions from supporters and critics.
