By Herbert Vego
IF you were one of us who viewed on TV the “quad committee” hearing at the House of Representatives on November 14, 2024, you will remember what former President Rodrigo Duterte exactly said:
“I am asking the ICC to hurry up, and if possible, they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow. This issue has been left hanging for many years. Baka mamatay ako, hindi na nila ako imbestigahan.”
Wish granted. He is now at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, awaiting trial for crimes against humanity during his “war on drugs”.
As we all know, he faced the pre-trial hearing there last Friday, where ICC Presiding Judge Julia Antonella Motoc briefed him on charges filed against him and scheduled his first trial on September 23, 2025.
This means that between now and then, he would spend much time with his lawyers to prepare his defense.
Our own Supreme Court ruled in March 2024 that the ICC retains jurisdiction over any and all heinous crimes committed by high government officials until March 17, 2019.
To quote a portion of that decision, “Consequently, liability for the alleged summary killings and other atrocities committed in the course of the war on drugs is not nullified or negated here.”
Therefore, withdrawal of ICC membership does not affect the liabilities of individuals charged before the ICC for acts committed up to the said date.
By then, the ICC had received complaints about bloody crackdowns all over the Philippines.
If in his mind the former President knows he has committed no crime against humanity, then he himself would want a full-blown investigation into his drug war that has allegedly killed 30,000 Filipinos.
Duterte won the presidency in 2016 on a campaign promise to get rid of the country’s drug problem. But he fell short of revealing it would be bloody, and with the orders to the police to kill suspects.
Even then, the ICC pointed out that if the country’s legal system had been functioning properly, there would have been no basis for it to step in.
Congress could have sought his impeachment in the six years (2016-2022) of his presidency; or the Department of Justice could have filed murder cases against him at the end of his term. But they did not, no doubt because they were afraid of him.
According to my source, Duterte was aware that the ICC had issued a warrant of arrest against him. It could be the reason why he and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, were in Hong Kong on Sunday on the pretext of boosting Filipino workers’ support for his senatorial candidates come May 12.
But according to Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon, Duterte had sought political asylum which would have taken him farther to mainland China but failed to get it.
“China would not want him there,” Gadon said on TV, “because it would displease the European Union, which is her biggest trading partner.”
Let us not forget that Duterte had repeatedly unleashed expletives against the European Union for asking him to “put an end” to the killings of drug suspects.
Duterte must have been disappointed. He has always looked up to Xi for help.
For example, on April 9, 2018, he told media men in a press conference in Davao City, “I just simply love Xi Jinping. He understands my problem and he is willing to help.”
-oOo-
CITY HALL, MORE POWER BEHIND THE ‘SUNSET’
IN partnership with Iloilo City’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), MORE Power planted mangrove saplings at Sunset Boulevard on Friday morning.
A total of 120 volunteers from MORE Power participated in planting 600 mangrove saplings. This initiative supports coastal protection and environmental sustainability.
MORE Power personnel are the first to plant mangroves at the newly-opened Sunset Boulevard, underscoring the importance of maintaining the area’s cleanliness and proper waste disposal.
MORE Power’s VP for marketing and corporate affairs, Ma. Cristina D. Cabalhin, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to sustainability.
“Mangroves offer crucial benefits like coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration,” she said. “This initiative aligns with our 5th-anniversary celebration to establish five planting decks, each with 1,000 saplings. Today, we completed our first deck with 600 saplings, and we are committed to reaching our target.”
This effort reflects MORE Power’s dedication to sustainability and green initiatives, ensuring a greener future for Iloilo City. Additional environmental projects are planned to continue the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, meanwhile, announced that he would implement a clear set of rules and regulations to ensure that the beauty of Sunset Boulevard is preserved and protected from irresponsible individuals who show no regard for our environment and the infrastructure built for public benefit.
