Julia Christine Botin

'This is not about vengeance; this is about justice': Trillanes, De Lima laud Duterte's arrest

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741674246915composites 2 (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Antonio Trillanes IV, Rodrigo Duterte and Leila de Lima. <em>Photos by George Calvelo and Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>MANILA — Former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima on Tuesday lauded the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. </p><p>Trillanes and De Lima are two of the staunchest critics of Duterte and his administration.</p><p>Trillanes, together with his Magdalo ally Gary Alejano, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/06/06/17/alejano-trillanes-file-supplemental-complaint-vs-duterte-at-icc">in 2017 filed a supplemental complaint</a> against Duterte before the International Criminal Court. The move was in support of the complaint filed by lawyer Jude Sabio against Duterte and his senior officials before the ICC.</p><p>This led the ICC to launch an investigation against Duterte for possible crime against humanity in relation to the <a href="http://De Lima shares &#x27;history&#x27; of Duterte Death Squad">alleged Davao Death Squad slayings</a> when he was still Davao City mayor and thousands of drug-related killings under his presidency.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/11/families-of-drug-war-victims-rights-groups-hail-dutertes-arrest-1319">Families of drug war victims, rights groups hail Duterte&#x27;s arrest</a></div><p>On Tuesday, police arrested Duterte after he landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport due to a warrant of arrest from the ICC.</p><p>&quot;After 8 years, sa WAKAS, nahuli na rin ang berdugo,&quot; Trillanes said in a post on X/Twitter, attaching a photo of him and Alejano when they filed the complaint before the ICC.</p><p>&quot;Sa lahat ng nakasama namin sa mahabang lakbay na ito para sa hustisya ng mga libu-libong EJK victims, maraming salamat po!&quot;</p><p>Meanwhile, De Lima said Duterte&#x27;s arrest was &quot;deeply personal&quot; for her.</p><p>De Lima in 2024 was finally freed after nearly 7 years of incarceration on charges that she said were meant as retribution for her investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings in the Duterte drug war. Courts have cleared her of all her drug charges and she is running in the 2025 party-list race as the first nominee of Mamamayang Liberal of the Liberal Party.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/24/de-lima-acquitted-on-last-of-three-drug-cases-1435">De Lima acquitted on last of three drug cases</a></div><p>&quot;For almost seven years, I was imprisoned on fabricated charges, accused of crimes I did not commit—all because I dared to speak out against Duterte’s drug war. While I was behind bars, thousands of Filipinos were killed without justice, their families left to grieve with no answers, no accountability,&quot; she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/3/sc-warns-fines-judge-in-de-lima-case-over-misconduct-neglect-of-duty-1239">SC warns, fines judge in De Lima case over misconduct, neglect of duty</a></div><p>&quot;Today, Duterte is being made to answer—not to me, but to the victims, to their families, to a world that refuses to forget. This is not about vengeance. This is about justice finally taking its course.&quot;</p><p>De Lima said that she faced her case despite knowing she was innocent.</p><p>She said, &quot;Duterte now has to answer for his actions, not in the court of public opinion, but before the rule of law.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/05/12/23/de-lima-acquitted-of-conspiracy-to-commit-illegal-drug-trading">De Lima acquitted of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading</a></div><p>&quot;This is how justice should work—those in power must be held to the same standards as everyone else,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;To those who have fought this long and difficult fight—your voices mattered, your courage mattered, and today, the pursuit of justice continues.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qOWB9SQgnWs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima — <i>two of the staunchest critics of Rodrigo Duterte and his administration — </i>on Tuesday lauded the arrest of the former president.</p>

Former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima — two of the staunchest critics of Rodrigo Duterte and his administration — on Tuesday lauded the arrest of the former president.