Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

A House leader has echoed the criticism of International Center for Transitional Justice Senior Associate Ruben Carranza that Rodrigo Duterte's camp failed to present a clear legal strategy for the ex-president's defense before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Instead, Assistant Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said the Duterte camp has resorted to misleading narratives to frame the ICC prosecution as a politically-motivated attack.

Acidre said Duterte and hia allies are better off addressing the legal merits of the case.

“This is not about political vendettas. This is about justice for the thousands who were killed in the name of a drug war that disregarded due process. Instead of politicizing the process, they should allow the law to take its course,” he said.

“Tama si Ginoong Carranza. Hindi ito eleksyon. Hindi ito propaganda war. Ito ay paglilitis para sa buhay ng libo-libong Pilipino na minasaker nang walang paliwanag at walang due process,” Acidre added.

(Mr. Carranza is correct. This is not an election. This is not a propaganda war. This is a trial for lives of thousands of Filipinos who were massacred without any explanation and due process.)

Echoing Carranza’s statement, Acidre said the Duterte legal team found itself on unfamiliar territory of being accorded due process at the ICC and was unable to adapt.

He stressed that the ICC has dealt with numerous cases involving political figures but has remained focused on the legal and factual issues, ensuring fair proceedings.

“The ICC is not easily swayed by political theatrics. They deal with politicized criminal cases all the time, yet they remain committed to the truth and the rule of law. That is what the former president should face – a legal battle, not a political one,” he said.

Acidre also warned that Duterte’s allies risk damaging their own credibility by trying to spin the trial into a political persecution rather than a matter of justice.

“Ang simpleng argumento dito ay pumatay ka kaya dapat kang managot. Huwag gawing politika ang malinaw na krimen (The simple argument here is you killed people and you're being held accountable. A clear criminal act shouldn't be turned into a political act)," he said.

The neophyte lawmaker in the 19th Congress urged the former president’s camp to focus on legal defense instead of mobilizing political supporters to sow misinformation and disrupt the legal proceedings.

“No amount of rallies or propaganda can erase the fact that thousands were killed without due process. If Duterte believes he is innocent, he should prove it in court, not in the streets,” Acidre said. 

Duterte, 79, is facing a charge of crimes against humanity before the United Nations (UN)-based court in connection with his bloody war on drugs.