While Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist first nominee Leila de Lima and Akbayan Partylist first nominee Chel Diokno welcomed the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, March 11, they also called for accountability of enablers and beneficiaries of the previous administration’s war on drugs campaign.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte questions the legality of his arrest on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.(Screenshot from Kitty Duterte Instagram page)

The former chief executive was arrested upon landing from Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on the basis of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

De Lima admitted that Duterte’s arrest was “deeply personal” for her, having been imprisoned on trumped-up drug charges for nearly seven years “because I dared to speak out against Duterte’s drug war.”

“Today, Duterte is being made to answer—not to me, but to the victims, to their families, to a world that refuses to forget. This is not about vengeance. This is about justice finally taking its course,” she said.

But the former senator and human rights commissioner admitted that Duterte’s arrest on Tuesday was a mere step toward justice, as there’s more that needs to be done.

“To those who have fought this long and difficult fight—your voices mattered, your courage mattered, and today, the pursuit of justice continues,” she added.

Diokno, another staunch critic of the Duterte administration, emphasized the need for the government to guarantee “full protection” for the witnesses and the victims’ families as “the fight is far from over.”

“For decades, Duterte thought himself untouchable—above the law, beyond accountability. But history catches up with even the most ruthless despots. His reign of terror must meet its inevitable end: his conviction,” he said.

“This is a critical step towards justice, but the fight is far from over. His allies will attempt to shield him, manipulate the system, and derail the process,” he added.

A lawyer by profession, Diokno explained that “Duterte must be placed under the ICC’s jurisdiction immediately” and that the Philippine government “must fully cooperate with the Interpol and the ICC, mobilizing all law enforcement agencies to bring him in.”

“To the Filipino people: let’s make sure Duterte doesn’t just run out of hiding places—let’s run him straight into the arms of justice. The road to accountability is long, but today, it just got a little shorter,” he added.

In a separate statement, ML Partylist also urged that “those who enabled and profited from this bloody campaign must also be held accountable.”

The Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs campaign took the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos. While some reports said the number was at 7,000, various human rights groups claimed the actual number could be well above 20,000 to 35,000.

The ICC case was filed by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Also named in the case as the chief implementor of the bloody campaign is Senator Bato Dela Rosa, who is up for reelection.