By Herbert Vego
WHILE we were having coffee at the Hotel del Rio the other day, my friend Gonzalo asked whether any of us would wager money against his prediction that the International Criminal Court (ICC) would proceed with a full-blown trial of former president Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte.
The four-day hearing that ended on Feb. 27 merely served to determine whether there are “substantial grounds to believe” that Duterte committed the crimes charged by the ICC prosecutor.
Gonzalo would bet a five-figure amount for the trial to proceed.
Alas, nobody would call his bet.
Duterte faces three counts of murder and attempted murder.
The first count covers 19 murders carried out by the police and hitmen between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City.
The second concerns 14 murders of “high-value targets” in 2016 and 2017 when he was president.
The third charges him with 43 murders committed during “clearance” operations of lower-level alleged drug users and pushers between 2016 and 2018.
Among the audio-visual footage shown in the pretrial were those of Duterte openly encouraging the police to kill suspected drug pushers and users, and of the bloody bodies of poor victims.
The poor were the usual targets because they were the least likely to file complaints against the police.
Methinks that Duterte’s foreign lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, failed to convince the three pretrial judges that the killings were necessary “in self-defense.”
The Mafia-style widespread killings would not have occurred without a go signal from whoever thought he was above the law in our country.
To quote ICC Prosecutor Edward Jeremy, “As president, Duterte publicly named persons he alleged were involved in drugs, and many of those would end up as victims in his so-called war on drugs.”
In the event the case hits the trial stage, living victims and state witnesses would be around to testify.
Some human rights groups believe as many as 30,000 people were killed in the campaign, while the Philippine National Police (PNP) has only 6,000 on its records.
Still, suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in the trial that would allow the presentation of witnesses.
With the pretrial hearing having ended on Feb. 27, ICC pretrial judges will have 60 days to issue a formal decision on whether to confirm the charges, dismiss them or request additional evidence.
If proven guilty, he could suffer life imprisonment at the ICC’s Scheveningen Prison at The Hague.
The video recordings replayed at the ICC could not be shrugged off because they show him ordering the police to “kill, kill, kill.”
One of his many self-incriminating statements recorded on video shows him admitting culpability for extrajudicial killings.
During a speech in Malacañang way back on Sept. 27, 28, he said, “What is my sin? Did I steal even one peso? Did I prosecute somebody who I ordered jailed? My sin is extrajudicial killings.”
-oOo-
VP SARA NO LONGER HOPING
“WE are no longer looking at his chances of coming home.”
This was what Vice President Sara Duterte told One News TV in an interview, adding that the nation should now move forward even if her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, would not be coming back to the Philippines.
That statement sounds pessimistic and yet candid in the likelihood of Tatay Digong biding his time indefinitely at the International Criminal Court (ICC) jail.
However, the fact that Tatay Digong waived his attendance at the pretrial could only be construed as resignation to his fate.
He could die while biding time in jail.
Turning 81 years old on March 28, he is now at the proverbial pre-departure area.
-oOo-
MORE POWER ON FIRE PREVENTION
MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) in Iloilo City is actively participating in the 2026 Fire Prevention Month this March, which began yesterday.
March marks the start of the summer season, featuring rising temperatures, lower humidity and increased fire risks.
The 2026 campaign kicked off yesterday with a motorcade accompanying siren-blaring firetrucks of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Here are the key Fire Prevention Tips from MORE Power and BFP:
Check Wiring Regularly: Inspect electrical wiring and appliances for damage, frayed wires or melting.
Avoid Overloading: Do not overload outlets or extension cords with too many appliances.
Unplug When Unused: Unplug appliances, especially chargers, when not in use to prevent overheating and power surges.
Report Illegal Connections: Avoid using “jumpers” or unauthorized connections, which are major causes of fires.
Secure Flammable Items: Keep combustible materials away from heat sources and electrical equipment.
