Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte Goes to the Hague
The former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is currently standing trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for crimes against humanity. He faces charges related to thousands of extrajudicial killings and widespread human rights violations committed during his infamous war on drugs. Duterte’s arrest has been seen as the beginning of a new era for the Philippines, focused on upholding human rights and rule of law. Yet, despite his bloody presidency, Duterte remains quite popular in the country. Duterete’s trial comes during a time of highly divided domestic politics and a rapidly changing nation. What impact will these trials have on the country?
Rodrigo Duterte is a rather controversial figure in the Philippines. Before becoming president, Duterte was the long-serving mayor of Davao City, where he built a reputation for being tough on crime. He was nicknamed “the Punisher” for admitting to being linked to death squads, and he maintained that he had no qualms about killing criminals. This behavior should have been almost appalling to voters. However, in 2015, political analysts found that criminality was one of the biggest fears among Filipinos. Therefore, Duterte’s belligerent approach to criminals made him quite popular, and he was elected President, though this came as a shock to many.
He served as the Philippines’ President from 2016 to 2022. During this time he led a massive campaign against drugs, leading to the death of thousands of alleged drug dealers and addicts. Despite his violent handling of drug issues in the country and sexist comments, Duterete still maintained popularity among the public. Most notably, he was able to deliver on his bold and violent promises against drugs.
Duerte’s presidency was characterized by violence, human rights violations, disdain for the US, and democratic backsliding. His campaign against drugs led to violent confrontations with the police and extrajudicial killings. It is believed that Duterte’s war on drugs led to the deaths of over 12,000 Filipinos. Many of the victims' families claimed that the victims were often not involved in drug-related activities but simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The killings were often indiscriminate and occurred outside of the legal framework. Those accused of participating in the drug industry were essentially executed without due process. Despite international and domestic outrage, Duterrte stood by his stance and said he would “never, never apologize for the deaths”
The current situation regarding Duterte’s arrest stems from a complex political situation in the Philippines, particularly the recent falling out of the Duterte and Marcos families, two of the Philippines political elites. The current President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., believed that it was necessary for Duterte to be sent to ICC, in a new era for the Philippines. However, in the process he was able to get rid of a powerful political rival. One wonders how much of his motivation is truly about justice for the victims.
Duterte was arrested on March 11, after arriving in Hong Kong to start a campaign tour. The ICC issued a warrant for his rest following the extrajudicial killing carried out under his leadership from about 2011 to 2019. However, the ICC can not prosecute any crimes after 2019, because, rather conveniently, in 2019 the Philippines pulled out from the ICC. Following the arrest, Duterte’s children, including Sara Duerte, who is the nation’s current vice president, filed a petition with the Philippine Supreme Court challenging the arrest. However, this was unsuccessful. Despite this, Duterte is confident that the ICC has no case against him.
The impact of the arrest on the Philippines is hard to predict. Currently, Duterte continues to enjoy national popularity to this day, with news of his arrest sparking outrage and demonstrations among his supporters. Many people believe that he saved the country from criminals and drug cartels, while others are appalled by his human rights violations. Making him a rather divisive figure. Analysts are divided on whether the arrest will make Duterte a martyr in the eyes of the nation or if his supporters will eventually lose interest and the unrest will die down. The current Filipino political landscape is shaped by the rivalry between the Duterte and Marcos families. If Duterte becomes a martyr, it could benefit his political allies, while Marcos would gain from his discreditation. Sounds like something out of a TV show.
While Duterte's arrest signals a possibility of justice and consequences for the human rights violations he oversaw, what the actual outcome or impact on the Philippines' political landscape remains to be seen. I suppose, for now, all we can do is watch and see how this unfolds.