PARA kay Senador Alan Peter Cayetano, ang habag o compassion ay isa sa mga nangingibabaw na katangian ng mga Pilipino na dapat manatiling gabay sa katarungan – kahit para sa mga taong hindi natin sinasang-ayunan.
Ito aniya ang dahilan kung bakit niya inihain ang isang resolusyon na humihikayat sa pamahalaan ng Pilipinas na makipag-ugnayan sa International Criminal Court (ICC) upang payagan ang house arrest imbes na nakakulong sa selda para kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte habang naghihintay ng paglilitis.
“In other words, Malacañang will talk to the ICC hoping to give an interim release to former President Duterte while he’s awaiting trial,” wika ng senador kay Boy Abunda sa isang video na inilabas nitong July 13, 2025.
Nilinaw ni Cayetano na hindi ito panawagan para palayain si Duterte kundi para bigyan ito ng mas makataong paraan ng pagkakakulong na sumusunod sa Saligang Batas at karapatang pantao.
Sa ilalim ng resolusyon, ang house arrest ay maaaring isagawa sa ilalim ng mahigpit na kondisyon – posibleng sa loob ng Philippine Embassy sa The Hague – upang matiyak ang legal na proseso habang iginagalang ang dignidad ng tao.
Giit ng senador, ang habag ay hindi lang dapat ibinibigay sa kaibigan o kakampi.
“One thing I deeply believe in is that Filipinos are deeply compassionate people. And when you say love and compassionate, the Bible repeatedly says, ‘If you’re only kind, loving, and compassionate to your loved ones, then what’s your difference to evil people?’” paliwanag ng senador.
“Meaning, dapat compassionate ka kahit hindi ka nag-a-agree sa tao, kahit sa enemy mo,” dagdag niya.
Nagbigay din siya ng mga halimbawa sa loob at labas ng bansa kung saan ginagamit na ang ganitong makataong paraan.
“His (Duterte’s) lawyer filed for interim release, which is allowed under the ICC rules as it has happened before. That was a rebel from Congo who was accused of crimes against humanity… We’ve also done this in the Philippines — former Senator Leila de Lima was held in a special facility, and Senator Sonny Trillanes was detained in Camp Aguinaldo,” aniya.
Ayon kay Cayetano, ang tunay na katarungan ay dapat may prinsipyo at hindi dapat maging malupit.
“If we do everything ‘an eye for an eye,’ then the whole world goes blind, right? It’s a vicious cycle, so it has to stop somewhere. And that’s where human rights activism and all of these conventions and international groups come into play,” sabi niya.
Habang mainit ang usapin, nananawagan ang senador na manindigan at manatiling mahinahon.
“He’s still a former president, Kuya Boy. God forbid something happens to former President Duterte. If something happens inside, and our attitude as a nation is like that and the ICC’s decision is like that, we can’t do anything,” ani Cayetano kay Abunda.
“But if we say he’s guilty, ‘you’re going to rot there’ – that’s from very angry people. It’s not just about accountability, but doing it with dignity,” dagdag niya.
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