The Archbishop of Davao has called on the Philippine government to ensure fairness and uphold due process in the wake of the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who is now facing trial at The Hague under the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a pastoral message issued March 17, Archbishop Romulo G. Valles of Davao addressed the faithful of the archdiocese, highlighting the division the arrest has caused among Filipinos and urging the public to seek unity, justice, and peace.
“Our nation stands at a crossroads, deeply divided over the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his subsequent transfer to The Hague to await trial,” Archbishop Valles said. “This event has strained relationships and now challenges our unity as a people.”
Without directly commenting on the charges filed against Duterte, the prelate emphasized the importance of upholding legal principles and avoiding actions driven by political bias. “Justice, however, must be pursued with fairness and integrity. It must remain free from partisan political motivations or personal vendettas,” he said.
“We urge our government to uphold due process, adhere to the rule of law, and respect the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence. Only through such commitment to justice can true peace be achieved,” Archbishop Valles added.
Duterte, who hails from Davao and served as its longtime mayor before assuming the presidency in 2016, is “a son of this local Church, so beloved by a vast number of our faithful,” the prelate noted. He acknowledged the pain felt by Duterte’s supporters while also recognizing those who “consider themselves victims of injustice in the past.”
The pastoral message urged the faithful to avoid deepening divisions and to seek reconciliation through dialogue. “We therefore call upon you, our faithful here in the archdiocese, to reject hatred and division, choosing instead the path of dialogue over discord, and reconciliation over conflict,” the archbishop said.
Quoting Scripture, Archbishop Valles concluded the message with a call for moral integrity: “As the prophet Micah exhorts us: ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?’ (Micah 6:8).”
The pastoral letter ended with a plea for prayers for the country, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, to lead the nation “toward genuine justice and lasting peace.”
