Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) in The Hague, Netherlands, to face charges of alleged crimes against humanity for his brutal war on drugs in the Philippines.
Duterte and his friends attempted to fight the imprisonment warrant and claimed his move to The Hague was an “illegal act“. However, the former bodybuilder had now become the primary Asian head of state to be tried by the ICC.
The media has left the Philippines reeling at a critical moment for the region. Some of Duterte’s supporters have rallied behind him, while another Filipinos have remembered his black reputation.
The state is also in the presence of intense campaigning for congressional elections in May that could be important for the state of the current leader, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos had been allied with Duterte’s daughter, Sara, the government’s vice president, before they significantly fell out last year after she formally threatened to attack him. Sara Duterte was therefore impeached by the House of Representatives by Marcos ‘ allies in February.
Today, there are questions whether Marcos ‘ determination to corner his main adversary and cooperate with Interpol’s arrest of her father may fail in a country where the Dutertes also hold great sway.
Long-simmering rivalry
At stake in May’s vote are over 18, 000 national and local opportunities, including 12 votes in the 24-member Senate, 250 seats in the House of Representatives and 63 party-list staff, as well as 82 valid and other localized government jobs across the country.
The benefits will definitely have major implications for the Philippines in the short term.
In the Senate, it may determine the outcome of Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial later this month. Thus far, eight of the Marcos government’s individuals are likely to succeed, based on the latest elections. If at least two-thirds of the lawmakers vote to indict Duterte, she may be ineligible to run for president herself in 2028 – or keep any open business.
Both Marcos and Sara Duterte have seen their people trust and acceptance ratings decline in recent months. Duterte’s scores declined even further after her prosecution in the lower room, although she still enjoys great rankings in her house foundation of Mindanao.
These latest innovations, however, have never stopped her from hinting at plans to run for president in 2028. She made these opinions on a trip to Hong Kong over the weekend with her father, where they met with international Filipino followers.
It remains to be seen whether the elder Duterte’s arrest and trial at the ICC would make much public sympathy for the home kingdom to raise Sara Duterte in both her impeachment trial and any future social races.
Some of the family’s die-hard supporters still view them as “underdogs” suffering from sustained political persecution by the Marcos administration. Social media posts by supporters have denounced the haste with which the government complied with the arrest warrant.
Sara Duterte will seek to rally these supporters even further as she travels to The Hague to stand by her father’s side. She has called his arrest an “affront to national sovereignty“.
ICC’s long arm
Beyond the Marcos-Duterte rivalry, Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and impending trial represents a sizeable moment for Filipinos at home and abroad. It shows that a former leader of the country can be held accountable for alleged crimes, no matter how popular they are or how much influence they wield.
New witnesses may surface who were reluctant to testify in trials related to Duterte-era killings in local courts. Some witnesses also refused to participate in the marathon hearings held by a House committee investigating drug-war killings.
This committee has said it would not cooperate with the ICC, as the Philippines withdrew from the court under Duterte’s rule in 2019. Nevertheless, its hearings can still be accessed by the ICC since they have all been posted online.
The ICC trial may also expose the weaknesses and inadequacies of the Philippine justice system, including the limitations of existing laws that are supposed to protect human rights, ensure the rule of law, and guarantee the accountability of government officials and law enforcers in the country.
Duterte’s trial may also persuade the Marcos administration to reconsider his predecessor’s decision to leave the ICC. ( The court says it retains jurisdiction in the case against Duterte because the alleged crimes occurred when the Philippines was still a member. )
The arrest of the former strongman may not end the” culture of impunity” that has long existed in Filipino politics. Yet, it is an important milestone in building public awareness about the importance of upholding human rights protections.
It will also no doubt provide the many families of those killed during Duterte’s time in office a measure of relief.
Noel Morada is visiting professor, Nelson Mandela Centre, Chulalongkorn University, and research fellow at the Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, The University of Queensland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.