Sadly, Duterte was despatched to ICC as act of vengeance not law
If you want further evidence that the world may be entering a lawless phase internationally, go no further than the arrest earlier this week of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and his delivery to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Paradoxical though it may sound it’s not so much the triumph of rule of law than an act of political vengeance. The scion of one powerful family has used his power to hit out at the patriarch of other powerful clan. Mr Duterte has not been delivered to the ICC for justice to be done but because of a bitter political feud with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Consider the above alongside this caveat: It can only be a good thing if Mr Duterte finally faces the consequences of his alleged actions as president, ie the extra-judicial killings of thousands of people in a massive anti-drugs campaign.
Both the Marcos and Duterte clans are heavy hitters in the country and while they’ve had their problems, they recently seemed to find a way to get along. The current Marcos administration features a Duterte (Sara, daughter of Rodrigo) as vice-president. Until recently, all was harmonious.
But there was a falling out some months ago. This led President Marcos to agree his government would comply with an ICC arrest warrant for Mr Duterte as part of its commitments to Interpol, the international police agency. It was convenient for Mr Marcos to despatch a rival and make it appear as if he were working for the cause of justice.
For context, it’s worth recapping what we know about the case against Mr Duterte.
Ahead of his 2016 election victory, the brash, tough-talking Trump of Asia, as he was called, had told Filipinos: “Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men and do-nothings, you better get out because I’ll kill you”. He also said: “I’ll dump all of you into Manila Bay and fatten all the fish there”.
He allegedly kept his promise to disregard human rights. While some drug dealers were targeted too, human rights activists said that many of the thousands who died in the six-year period to 2022 were poor and vulnerable. They are said to have died for no particular reason other than impunity.
In 2022, the government estimated that at least 6,252 people had died “during antidrug operations” since July 2016. However, analysts said the toll may have been higher.
Many have been celebrating what’s being called a rare victory for the ICC with Mr Duterte the first Asian ex-leader to go to The Hague in these circumstances. Amnesty International’s head Agnes Callamard has hailed the arrest on an ICC warrant as “a hopeful sign for victims in the Philippines and beyond”. She said it showed that “suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, can and will face justice, wherever they are in the world”.
Yes, but only if they have a political rival who can’t wait to be rid of them!
Originally published at https://www.rashmee.com
