Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero 

Two House assistant majority leaders have echoed Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero's call for this year's election candidates to refrain from riding on the issue of former president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest to boost their chances of winning.

Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre agreed with Escudero that the poll bets shouldn't take advantage of the situation. 

"Yes, I totally agree on the statement of Senator Chiz Escudero not because he is my fellow kababayan a Bicolano lawmaker but also being a leader of the Senate and as a national figure we want to ask or request to our fellow Filipinos na huwag gawin itong isyu-politika (don't turn this into a political issue)," Bongalon said. 

Alluding to the Marcoses and Dutertes, Bongalon said the issue shouldn't be presented as "about two families who are quarreling", but about achieving justice for the thousands of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims during the previous administration.

"Huwag din kumbaga, wag nang i-sensationalize no (Also, let's not sensationalize it so to speak), not because the former president was arrested. It’s not about him, it’s about the victims of the EJKs," Bongalon said.

"It’s about justice, it’s about vindication to the victims of EJKs so malayong malayo po na mahaluan ito ng isyu politika (it would be far-fetched to make it a political issue)," the Bicolano added.

On Wednesday, March 12, Escudero said of Duterte's arrest on the order of the International Criminal Court (ICC): "This is a serious issue that involves lives and should not be trifled with for petty personal or political gain."

To this, Acidre comemnted: "For once, I would agree with the Senate President. Hindi po ito usapin ng tungkol kay president Duterte, hindi ito usapin ng kampo ng mga Duterte versus kanino. Ito po ay usapin ng krimen na nagawa, hindi ba?"

(This topic is not about president Duterte, this is not about the Dutertes versus another camp. This is about the crime that was commited, right?)

"[EJKs] will always be illegal. It will always be against the law...it cannot be a choice between justice and mercy. We have to apply the rule of law. And in this case, we cannot allow personalities to define the narrative, whether it's pro or against," he said.

Acidre reiterated that the focus should be on the victims of the EJKs and their families. 

"Sila po dapat ang binibigyan natin ng pansin. Kung sino man ang kailangang managot sa pag patay sa mga taong ito, sa mga biktima ng EJK, kailangang managot, ano man ang naging position niya sa gobyerno natin."

(They're the ones who should be given the attention. Whoever are responsible for the killings of these people, the EJK victims, they must be held accountable no matter what their position is in government.)

The country will hold its next mid-term elections on May 12.