Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on Friday, March 21, said former president Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable under Philippine law—not by foreign bodies—emphasizing that any legal proceedings must take place within the country’s own justice system.
During an interview with Net25, INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala underscored their official position that the justice system in the country is functioning and should be respected.
“Ang posisyon po ng Iglesia Ni Cristo [sa usapin tungkol sa dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte] ay ito, kung ano ang tama, at kung ano ang nasa mga batas natin, iyon ang dapat pairalin. Huwag po itong pilipitin para umayon sa nais ng sino man (The position of Iglesia Ni Cristo [on the issue of former President Rodrigo Duterte] is this: what is right and what is within our laws, that is what should prevail. Let us not twist this to suit anyone’s agenda),” he said.
“Hindi po sumasang-ayon ang Iglesia sa anumang hakbangin na hindi naaayon sa mga batas ng ating bansa. Sapagkat ang batas po ang salalayang nagpapanatili ng kaayusan sa ating bansa (The Church does not agree with any course of action that is not in accordance with our country’s laws. Because the law is the foundation that maintains order in our country),” he added.
Zabala warned that disregarding the law can lead to instability and injustice.
“Kapag ang batas ay binaliwala ay nagbubunga ito ng kaguluhan, hidwaan, at kawalang hustisya. Alam niyo po iyan (When the law is ignored, it results in chaos, division, and injustice. You know that),” the INC spokesperson stated.
He insisted that any Filipino accused of violating the law should be prosecuted within the country.
“Sino mang Pilipino o mamamayan ng ating bansa na may ginawang paglabag sa ating mga batas, dito dapat litisin sa ating bansa (Any Filipino or citizen of our country who has violated our laws should be tried here, in our country),” said Zabala.
“Bakit po? Sapagkat gumagana naman ang sistema ng ating hustisya (Why? Because our justice system is working).”
While affirming that Duterte should face legal scrutiny, Zabala said the INC has confidence in the Philippine judiciary.
“Hindi po natin sinasabi na huwag litisin ang dating pangulo sa mga iniaakusa laban sa kanya. Ang sa amin po, nagtitiwala ang Iglesia Ni Cristo sa integridad at kakayahan ng hudikatura para pagpasyahan ang ganitong bagay at usapin (We are not saying the former president should not be tried for the accusations against him. What we are saying is that Iglesia Ni Cristo trusts the integrity and capability of the judiciary to decide on matters like this),” he said.
“Ang mga hukom natin ay may kakayahan po na gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin na ipataw ang tamang hustisya’t pairalin ang katarungan sa lahat ng sandali (Our judges have the ability to carry out their duty, to deliver proper justice and uphold fairness at all times),” he went on.
The INC spokesperson asserted that national sovereignty should not be compromised.
“Kaya hindi natin dapat isuko ang soberenya ng ating bansa sa iba. Iyan po ang posisyon natin (That’s why we should not surrender the sovereignty of our country to others. That is our position),” said Zabala.
On March 11, Duterte was arrested at Manila’s international airport following the issuance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant related to his administration’s controversial war on drugs.
He was subsequently transferred to The Hague, Netherlands, where he is now in the custody of the ICC.
Human rights groups, including the women’s organization GABRIELA, welcomed Duterte’s arrest, calling it a crucial step toward justice for victims of extrajudicial killings and alleged crimes against humanity.
The Philippines formally withdrew from the ICC in 2019 during Duterte’s presidency, but the court maintained jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member.