Too divisive or not

Go figure:

Thousands were killed when he was the president of the Philippines and mayor of Davao City with orders of a bloody but failed anti-drugs crackdown.

·        A family (make it two families) lost him by continents. Says Veronica “Kitty” Duterte in her Instagram post: “They took dad from us, put him on a plane and wouldn’t say where to. People, wake up.” According to Vice President Sara Duterte, “They are taking him out on a plane by force without considering his health conditions.”

Is the nation too divided by Rodrigo Duterte’s capture? The ICC says we’re dealing with crimes against humanity here.

It is not too divisive. A headline reads: “‘Thank you, ICC’: Pinoys express gratitude after Duterte’s arrest over drug war crimes.”

It is not too divisive. In a statement, Leila de Lima says that Duterte is “being made to answer – not to me, but to the victims, to their families, to a world that refuses to forget.”

She adds: “(Ex-President Duterte) has to answer for his actions, not in the court of public opinion, but before the rule of law… This is how justice should work – those in power must be held to the same standards as everyone else.”

It is not too divisive. Hindi masyadong mapanghati ang pangyayari. Marami lang kasing umiidolo sa mga pulitiko katulad ng mga Duterte. Gayundin naman sa mga Marcos. Synonyms of divisive include discordant, disruptive, conflict-ridden, and contentious. When you look closely at the four words and think about the Philippines, no Filipino can easily claim who is/are responsible for the bloody but failed war on drugs. But all citizens are so used to disunity when it comes to law and order that an Interpol-backed ICC aligns more closely with our overall desires as it essentially performs better given the political (and moral) situation in the country.

We generally but constitutionally adopt “the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land.”

It is not too divisive. The arrest—we can aptly describe—is dramatic.

We wish former president Duterte the best of luck in The Hague. We equally wish that for the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings in the years in question in the International Criminal Court—November 1, 2011, when he was still mayor of Davao City to March 16, 2019, when he was on the second half of his presidency, as possible crimes against humanity. Operative word: possible.

“Show to me now the legal basis for my being here,” Duterte tells authorities on March 11. “You have to answer now for the deprivation of liberty.”

Says one netizen: “Finally! The long wait is over! Magkakaroon na ng hustisya ang mga biktima ng extrajudicial killings (EJK) ni Digong!” (Many other netizens have the same theme in their posts.)

Remember (courtesy of the Senate website, June 6, 2017):

“Senator Antonio ‘Sonny’ F. Trillanes IV, together with Magdalo Party-list Representative Gary C. Alejano, has filed on Tuesday a supplemental complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

“In the 45-page communication submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor of ICC, Trillanes, and Alejano affirmed and provided updates to the submitted communication of Atty. Jude Sabio before the ICC regarding President Rodrigo Duterte’s violation of the Articles of Rome Statute through commission of mass murder or extra-judicial executions constituting crimes against humanity.

“Trillanes explained: ‘The case of crimes against humanity against Duterte is very solid. He repeatedly, explicitly, and pronounced a national policy of killing drug suspects and the PNP executed it. Moreover, the Philippines, being a state party and Duterte a Filipino, satisfy jurisdictional requirements. Any Filipino lawyer who says otherwise should read the ICC policy papers first.’

“Trillanes and Alejano also included in the communication the list of killings which transpired after the first communication to the ICC was submitted last April 24 by Atty. Sabio, and other relevant incidents prove that the killings happening around the country are being done systematically by police through the so-called legitimate police operations, or through vigilante-style executions, which are carried out by police themselves masked as part of vigilante groups or through their hired killers.”

Wish for our journalism and communication students

It is great to be a journalist now. Not enough money, just a conscience. Truth sets us all free (but we still need to pray so that we may be “free indeed”). Have online readings via rappler.com and, of course, tutubi.ph. As for me, on the morning of March 12, 2025, I prefer to add my readings by buying the actual printed versions of our top broadsheets as Duterte has become Asia’s first former head of state to go on trial in the International Criminal Court. Veinte pesos (Php 20) cada periódico.

PNP, Itinaas sa Heightened Alert Matapos ang Pag-aresto kay Duterte

MANILA, Philippines – Itinaas ng Philippine National Police (PNP) ang heightened alert status sa lahat ng Police Regional Offices (PROs) at National Support Units (NSUs) simula Martes ng gabi, Marso 11, 2025, kasunod ng pagkakaaresto kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

Ayon sa isang memorandum mula sa PNP Directorate for Operations, ang hakbang na ito ay bilang paghahanda sa posibilidad ng kaguluhan, protesta, at malawakang kilos-protesta matapos ang pag-aresto sa dating Pangulo.

“This pertains to the current nationwide peace and order situation where possible civil disturbance, rallies, and mass actions may arise following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” ayon sa memorandum.

Dagdag pa rito, ipinatupad ang heightened alert status sa buong bansa simula alas-5 ng hapon ng Marso 11, 2025.

Pag-aresto kay Duterte sa NAIA

Inaresto si Duterte sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) nitong Martes ng umaga matapos itong dumating mula sa Hong Kong. Ang dating Pangulo ay hinuli sa bisa ng arrest warrant mula sa International Criminal Court (ICC) kaugnay ng mga umano’y crimes against humanity na may kaugnayan sa madugong war on drugs ng kanyang administrasyon.

Dahil dito, nagtipon ang daan-daang tagasuporta ni Duterte sa harap ng Villamor Air Base sa Pasay City bilang pagpapakita ng kanilang pagtutol sa kanyang pag-aresto.

PNP: Handa sa Anumang Banta sa Seguridad

Naglabas ng paalala ang PNP sa lahat ng unipormadong tauhan, lalo na sa mga nagsasagawa ng police operations, upang paigtingin ang seguridad at mag-ingat laban sa posibleng banta.

“All uniformed personnel, especially those performing police operations, are reminded to conduct proactive security measures and execute extreme caution for possible enemy atrocities,” saad ng PNP.

Bukod dito, inatasan ang lahat ng yunit ng pulisya na magpatupad ng mas mahigpit na border control points at maghanda ng CDM contingents (Reactionary Standby Support Force at Quick Reaction Forces) upang mapanatili ang kapayapaan at kaayusan sa kani-kanilang mga nasasakupan.

Patuloy na babantayan ng PNP ang sitwasyon sa buong bansa habang nagpapatuloy ang mga legal na proseso kaugnay ng kaso ni Duterte sa ICC.