The arrest and transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) should have been a defining moment for the Filipino people—a signal to break free from the
The arrest and transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) should have been a defining moment for the Filipino people—a signal to break free from the ideological grip of Dutertism and its normalization of extrajudicial violence. Yet, instead of seizing this strategic opening, many remain politically inert, unable to recognize the broader implications of this unprecedented event.
The Dutertes and their allies were momentarily stunned by the sheer efficiency with which the Marcos administration executed what was once thought impossible—the political decapitation of Duterte and the imminent destruction of his stronghold. Now, their frantic attempts to appeal to the Supreme Court to reverse an irreversible international process are little more than symbolic gestures—sound and fury signifying nothing. These legal maneuvers are not true attempts at securing Duterte’s release but rather desperate efforts to manage the humiliation of losing a political war in a single, decisive battle. Chants of “Bring him home” appeal to the gallery, but not to the ICC.
Vice President Sara Duterte acknowledges that Rodrigo Duterte is no longer coming back. The local lawyers will no longer appear as counsels, perhaps to squarely put the onus of a conviction on paid foreign lawyers.
