“Since the crimes leveled against Duterte and Dela Rosa are crimes against humanity will they ever escape from the long arms of the ICC?”
Since this column appears the day after the SONA or State of the Nation Address, and since this column had to beat its deadline on Sunday, I could only guess and surmise what President Marcos Jr. said.
As a prelude to the SONA, BBM said that during his first year in office and after his first SONA he made “significant progress.”
The question may be asked: On what did he make significant progress?
In fairness to the President, he assumed office following the COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when there was a looming threat to food security, and a rising inflation that threatened the economy and the well-being of every Filipino.
Added to that were those health protocols requiring masks, social distancing, and washing of hands, and, even worse, those lockdowns.
BBM had in fact assumed the secretaryship of the Department of Agriculture since he realized that food security affected every Filipino, and that following rising inflation when the prices of all consumer goods and services were affected with rising costs.
This is why I consider it unfair to rate the President’s performance whether he failed or not because of what he had to do.
When BBM said that he made “significant progress” since his first SONA, I can guess and surmise what he meant.
As acting DA secretary, he had to tackle rising prices of almost everything.
What was worse was that prices of gasoline and oil worsened by the Russia-Ukraine War had a domino effect not only on transport fares, but on commuters who had to go to office and work, and those who had to earn for their daily existence.
That’s why I can only guess what he meant by “significant progress” on what he had accomplished.
Yes, indeed BBM made significant progress in ensuring food security for all Filipinos and giving them food on the table at affordable prices.
He also had to contend with the smuggling of agri products, like rice, sugar, meat products and even fish and onions, and when there was the need to import, he did authorize importation.
And he even had to contend with cartels that not only hoarded and manipulated prices, which until now is a problem.
There were also other looming crisis brought about by climate change, like water and now even the El Nino phenomenon which tends to affect the country’s farmers and fisherfolk.
At this time , with the onset of the typhoon season, he must contend with floods and landslides.
Yes, the President made significant progress in making the Philippines a foreign investment destination with his many official and state visits not only to countries in Southeast Asia but to the United States and Europe, that, according to records, have begun investing in the Philippines which will provide a lot of jobs for the unemployed and under-employed.
And with the creation of the DMW or Department of Migrant Workers, our OFWs are now protected from abuse and ensured from abuse.
Most importantly, remittances are ensured.
But there are a myriad of things yet to be done to solve the shortage of nurses who had no choice but to go abroad to seek greener pastures because of higher pay and working conditions.
They were even enticed with the benefit of bringing their families to go with them, my gulay!
This problem must be prioritized because shortage of nurses also means shortage of health workers.
I must commend the President for having commendable economic managers, which is all-important for full recovery.
As expected, there of course are those who do not agree with the President that he has made significant progress.
In fact, some critics have claimed that during his first year, he failed to deliver his promises, while there are also those who agree with BBM that he made significant progress.
As for me, an incurable optimist, I always see the glass half-full, not half-empty.
Next move of ICC
Now that the International Criminal Court has denied the appeal of the Philippine Solicitor General to stop the ICC from further investigating former President Duterte’s brutal and bloody war against illegal drugs with its many extra-judicial killings, together with the reported Davao Death Squad and its many killings when Duterte was still Davao City mayor and vice mayor, what is expected next?
It has been made clear to the ICC the country will not allow ICC investigators to come to the Philippines to investigate since that would be an incursion on Philippine sovereignty since the country is no longer a member of the Rome Statute that created the ICC, aside from the fact that the justice system of the Philippines is working.
So, what next, Santa Banana! BBM had in fact been quoted as saying the country is “done with the ICC,” meaning the Philippines will no longer have anything to do with it.
The next move of the ICC is perhaps the issuance of the warrant of arrest on former President Duterte and then Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, now senator, who was the author of that brutal “Operation Tokhang” when Duterte was President and the “Operation Double Barrel” that killed so many poor victims of illegal drugs and resulted in so many extra-judicial killings.
While official figures recorded some 6,500 killings during Duterte’s six year term, unofficial estimates claimed no less than 28,000 were killed on claims by the police that those killed fought back.
The vernacular is “nanglaban.”
Warnings
With the issuance of search warrants against Duterte and “Bato,” they have been warned against going to countries where the ICC has powers to arrest them, particularly European countries.
Since the crimes leveled against Duterte and “Bato” are crimes against humanity will they ever escape from the long arms of the ICC?
That to me, is a big question.
Well, that’s how it is now.
Once the arrest warrants against Duterte and “Bato” are issued and since the Philippines will not allow the ICC to come to the country, what then?
Santa Banana, I guess Duterte and “Bato” will remain wanted men for crimes against humanity, just like the “Wanted” people during the Wild Wild West, until the long arm of the law will catch up with them.
Frankly, I would not like to be in their shoes.
Challenge
With statements from some sectors of the Philippines that in case a warrant of arrest is reissued, my gulay, against those involved in the illegal drugs war of Duterte, is that under Article 19 of the Rome Statute creating the ICC which would raise the issue of jurisdiction since the country affected would have the right to issue jurisdiction over crimes committed before the Philippines withdrawal.
Santa Banana, the British lawyer was reported by Vera Files that Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Bong Go were mentioned.
This would be another issue that I cannot comment on at this time.
But, the PNP had said that now it will not cooperate with the ICC’s probe on those involved, and the Senate will never surrender “Bato” to the ICC.
Abangan, as they say.
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