Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo Church gather at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila for the National Rally for Peace on January 13, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file 

MANILA — The Philippines' justice system should be the venue to prosecute any crime committed in the country, a spokesman for the Iglesia ni Cristo religious group said Friday.

INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala, in an interview on Net25's "Sa Ganang Mamamayan" issued the statement following the March 11 arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on the basis of a warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity over the killings during his administration's war on drugs. 

"Sinumang Pilipino o mamamayan ng ating bansa na may ginawang paglabag sa ating batas, dito dapat litisin sa ating bansa sapagkat gumagana naman ang sistema ng ating hustisya," Zabala said.

"Hndi po natin sinasabing huwag litisin ang dating pangulo sa mga inaakusa sa kaniya. Ang sa ganang amin po, nagtitiwala ang Iglesia ni Cristo sa integridad at kakayahan ng Hudikatura para pagpasyahan ang ganitong bagay at usapin," Zabala added.

"Ang mga hukom natin ay may kakayahan po na gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin na ipataw ang tamang hustisya at pairalin ang katarungan sa anumang sandali," he said.

Zabala added that the country should not surrender its sovereignty. "Kung ano ang tama, at kung ano ang nasa batas natin, 'yun sana ang dapat pairalin. Huwag po itong pilipitin para umayon sa nais ng sinuman. Hindi po sumasang-ayon ang Iglesia sa anumang hakbanging hindi naayon sa ating bansa."

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The ICC warrant for Duterte's arrest said that as president, the 79-year-old Duterte created, funded, and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers.

He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day he was arrested.

Duterte on March 14 appeared via video link before ICC judges. He is set to attend a September 23 hearing to confirm the charges against him.

JUSTICE THROUGH THE ICC

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said that failures in the Philippine justice system pushed families of drug war victims to seek justice through the ICC.

Remulla says justice failures forced drug war victims' families to turn to ICC

He said the victims' families turned to the ICC because they could not find justice in the country, a sentiment that victims' families have long expressed.

"I think that's one thing that nobody wants to acknowledge is that there was a failure of our justice system for a long time and they had to file their cases in the ICC to get any attention at all from anybody that cared," Remulla said during a Senate committee hearing on foreign relations, regarding the arrest of Duterte. 

"Because for the longest time ang biktima po, mga namatayan or pamilya nilang napatay o napaslang sa drug war ay wala hong mapuntahan kaya dun po sila nagpunta sa ICC," he added.

'HINDI PINAKINGGAN NG MGA KINAUUKULAN'

Looking back at INC's rally for peace in January, Zabala said they only wish for unity in the Marcos-Duterte administration.

Iglesia ni Cristo rally pushes for 'peace, progress'

"Nang mag-rally po ang Iglesia noong January 13, 2025 ang ipinanawagan po namin sa mga namiminuno sa ating bansa: kapayapaan, pagkakaisa, at unahing asikasuhin ang problema ng ating bansa at mamamayan nito, kaysa 'yung mga gawaing magbubunga lang ng awayan at hidwaan," he said.

"Ang nakakalungkot po 'yung panawagang 'yun ng Iglesia ni Cristo tila hindi pinakinggan ng mga kinauukulan kaya nga po nangyayari 'ung mga nangyayari ngayon," he added.

- with a report from Agence France-Presse

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