• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the local Partido Demokratiko Pilipino in Negros Occidental gears up to mount protest actions in support of its arrested leader, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD), Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, the chair of the Negros Association of Chief Executives, however, called on Negrenses to trust government institutions in carrying out their responsibilities with fairness and impartiality.
The local chief executives of Negros Occidental recognized the weight of recent national events, including the legal proceedings involving FPRRD, said Benitez, adding “moments like these remind us of the fundamental principles that uphold our democracy: respect for human rights, due process, and the rule of law.”
We call on our fellow Negrosanons to remain engaged, but also focused on the bigger picture. Let us channel our energies into meaningful dialogue and collective action, ensuring that our province continues to move forward, he added.
Together, we reaffirm our commitment to democracy, human rights, peace, and the shared responsibility of building a stronger nation, Benitez further said.
Former Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, the chairman of PDP Negros Island Region, yesterday said that they are in a meeting with their national party leaders on how to sustain the protest action in connection with the arrest of Duterte.
Duterte is on his way to Hague, Netherlands, after he was arrested by the Philippine government on Tuesday after it said it received an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest accusing him of crimes against humanity.
The ICC sought Duterte’s arrest on a crimes against humanity charge in relation to alleged extrajudicial killings during his stint as president from 2016 to 2022, that killed more than 6,000 people, based on police data.
“We have to have a sustained protest actions,” said Palanca, a gubernatorial candidate of PDP in Negros Occidental.
He reported that Duterte supporters in Negros have started to hold “sympathy gathering,” by converging yesterday in Bacolod City, as well as in key areas of northern and southern Negros.
“This is no longer a concern of the PDP. This is a concern of the Filipino people,” Palanca said.
In a statement, Bayan Negros said the arrest of Duterte for crimes against humanity is a welcome, but long overdue step toward justice.
The ICC arrest is just the beginning. Duterte must be convicted, and all those who carried out his orders, especially those still seated in power, must be held accountable. Without continued public pressure, the case would not prosper and justice could be denied once again, Bayan Negros further said.*
