Former President Rodrigo Duterte testifies at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on killings, and alleged rights violations in his administration’s war on drugs on October 28, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File 

MANILA — Senate President Francis Escudero on Wednesday said the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte should not be exploited for petty personal or political gain."

Escudero urged candidates in May’s midterm elections to “refrain from using this issue to fan the flames of partisanship in order to further their candidacies.”

“This is a serious issue that involves lives and should not be trifled with for petty personal or political gain," Escudero said in a statement.

"It is in our nation’s best interests to demonstrate our strength not by division, but by our capacity to rise above our differences and to collectively and peacefully uphold justice and accountability," he added. 

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Duterte is bound for The Hague following his arrest on an International Criminal Court warrant tied to his deadly crackdown on drugs.

The 79-year-old faces a charge of "the crime against humanity of murder", according to the ICC, for a crackdown that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs.

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Escudero said he expected the ICC “to respect the rights of former President Duterte and to ensure that he is afforded due process in accordance with the Rule of Law.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who was Duterte's running-mate in the 2016 elections, slammed the way Duterte was flown out of the country despite a petition pending at the Supreme Court.

"So hindi ko tinatanggal sa human rights activists na meron silang pinaglalaban sa part one. Ito yung part two, yung isasakay siya sa eroplano na may petition siya sa Supreme Court at walang Philippine Court na nagsasabing dapat siyang i-extradite or i-surrender sa Hague,” the senator said in a late night live broadcast on his social media account.

“May petition siya sa Supreme Court. Walang korte, ni-isang korte sa Pilipinas na bineripay muna yung warrant of arrest na yan. Hindi ba nangyari na sa atin dati yan na may extradition from the US at ni-litigate pa dito?" Cayetano added.

Cayetano, who had served as Duterte’s foreign affairs chief and House Speaker, said the arrest could set a precedent.

“Ito tanong ko sa inyo: paano kung sitting Supreme Court Chief Justice, sitting Speaker, sitting Senate President, sitting Cabinet Member, sitting President ng ating bansa, may isang international court na naglabas, yung PNP, huhulihin nyo na lang, sasakay niyo na lang sa eroplano, aalis na sa ating bansa, diba? So yung precedent napaka-importante kung anong pinapakita natin sa lahat," Cayetano said.

He asked if Duterte would be assisted by the government at The Hague.

"Mahirap po magpaliwanag sa Hague. At anong gagawin nung embassy doon, after makita yung nangyari dito? Will they give assistance to PRRD? Knowing na dito, hindi natin hinintay yung Korte? Paano yung mga lawyers na kailangan niya doon? Paano yung doctors na kailangan niya doon?” he said.

“It just boggles my mind, you know, how we could put him on a plane, then just say, sa Hague na lang magpaliwanag,” he added. 

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