Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (MANILA BULLETIN)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte---Administration senatorial candidate Panfilo "Ping" Lacson says history will ultimately determine whether or not it was right for former president Rodrigo Duterte to be taken into custody and tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

Lacson, a former senator, had this to say in a press conference here ahead of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas' huge campaign rally on Friday, March 14.

"Ngayon ang tanong kung mali o tama, only time will tell. Di yan masasagot ngayon. History books na magsasabi niyan (Now as to the question of whether it was right or wrong, only tell will tell. That can't be answered right now. History books will be the ones to answer that)," he said.

"Saka malaman kung tama o mali pagdating ng takdang panahon. Ang takdang panahon na yan hindi ngayon (We will know whether it was right or wrong at the proper time. And the proper time isn't now)," stressed Lacaon.

On Tuesday morning, March 11, members of the International Police (Interpol) served an arrest warrant against Duterte in Manila. The former leader is facing a charge of crimes against humanity before the ICC at The Hague in connection with his bloody war on drugs. 

His arrest came seven years after then-president Duterte ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which created the ICC. The case against Duterte was filed a year before the withdrawal in 2017.

At any rate, Lacson said he personally favored the Philippines' return to the fold of the ICC, which he described as the "global court for the powerless", and "court of last resort".

Lacson justified his call for the Philippines to return to the ICC.

"Halimbawang ma-invade tayo ng ibang bansa, without referring to any particular country, baka kung di tayo member, di tayo maka-seek ng redress or maka-complain kasi di tayo recognized kung sakaling may war crimes na ma-commit dito ng bansang hypothetically mag-invade," he said.

(For example, if we get invaded by another country, without referring to any particular country, we may not be able to seek redress or complain about the war crimes of the hypothetically invading country because we aren't recognized by ICC.)

"Ang personal opinion ko, we should rejoin. And I limit my answer to personal opinion, na sabi ko nga, global court for the powerless...So very strong ano ko rito we should rejoin," added Lacson.

(My personal opinion is that we should rejoin. And I limit my answer to personal opinion, like I said its the global court for the powerless...So my opinion is very strong that we should rejoin.)