Metro Manila, Philippines – Despite receiving threats and even profanities from former President Rodrigo Duterte over her investigation into his administration’s war on drugs, former United Nations Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard said the ex-president’s arrest is not just a personal vindication—but a victory for everyone who fought for justice.
In an interview with NewsWatch Plus’ The Newsmaker, Callamard recalled how Duterte did not only single her out during his anti-drug campaign.
“He went after me. He went after everybody. He went after President Obama, if I am not mistaken. He went after journalists. He went after everybody. He went after the International Criminal Court. He mocked the International Criminal Court,” said Callamard.“I really don’t feel it’s about me, about my work. really, I truly do not think. because if I had not been there, someone else would have done the work as a special rapporteur, and indeed others did. And we know that my work was largely dependent on the work of people on the ground because I could only go there for a few days. So it is, I think it’s vindication for all of us. It is the demonstration that we should not lose sight of what matters,” she added.Callamard emphasized that the arrest of Duterte sends a powerful message: everyone can be held accountable, even a former head of state.“The most powerful man in the Philippines, the one who thought he was above everything, that man is now facing international justice for the crimes he committed,” she said.
