Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Trial in the Hague Begins The Philippines split: Some praising the arrest and serving of justice, most protesting the criminal act of abduction.
Ex-president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, had just returned from Hong Kong when he was ambushed by the police of his own country and put into custody. He was sent to the Netherlands to stand trial for crimes against humanity.
During his time as president, Rodrigo Duterte became a controversial figure to the international community, yet many (not all) Filipinos saw him as a national hero. He was a man who did not play with words or oratory skills to hide his true intention and was very upfront and matter-of-fact with the people. People complaining of his “tyranny” and his merciless crusade in his war on drugs were the same people who voted for him, despite Duterte himself saying openly what his plans were during the elections. People have had enough of lies and years of inaction in the Philippines. Governments were corrupt, and unlike Western countries that have the capacity to provide care for drug addicts, the Philippines was crawling with criminals.
Law-experts in the Philippines criticize Duterte, usually pointing fingers at his plans not leaving any lasting impacts after a bloody term. However, even more give credit as to how Filipinos felt safer during his term. Many condemned him for the killing of innocent people who were needlessly involved in his crusade, yet a lot more praised him for serving justice against rapists of women and babies, ransoming kidnappers, murderers and terrorists, drug dealers, and addicts. He also arrested many corrupt politicians, the same ones condemning him now in the Hague along with the controversial and not-so-popular President Ferdinand Bong Bong Marcos Jr., son of the Dictator of the Philippines.
Law-experts also criticize the International Criminal Court for still meddling in the Philippines’ affairs, despite the country leaving in 2019. Anti-Duterte individuals have defended the ICC, stating that while the court no longer had access to Philippine affairs after 2019, it still had access before 2019, primarily during Duterte’s drug war. Despite this fact, the ICC could not touch Duterte while in the Philippines as they no longer had any jurisdiction, and could only get Duterte if the current government cooperated - and cooperated they did. A crisis has now presented itself, questioning the legality of the arrest.
The biggest elephant in the room is how Duterte wasn’t arrested by the authorities, but how he was given up. Lately, the Philippine government affairs have been messy. During the campaign of Ferdinand Bong Bong Marcos Jr., there was an alliance between the Marcos family and the Duterte family. Sara Duterte, daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, gave up the number one seat for the number two, becoming the Vice President of the Philippines. However, it is obvious to state that the relationship between the two families has deteriorated over the years. The Marcos administration has been criticized for being corrupt. Crime that was non-existent during Duterte’s term has appeared once again. Kidnappings, ransoming, rape, and drugs have begun to resurface once more. Now, the Marcos administration is not focusing on alleviating the Philippines’ problems in the long-term, instead focusing on his feud with the Dutertes. In unfair trials, Sara Duterte has been accused time and time and again, and when trying to give a response, she was silenced. A case for impeaching Sara Duterte has started, mainly by members of the Marcos faction. Duterte was arrested by the police (mainly the ambitious supporters of the current administration hoping to further their careers) and disrespected while on the plane for the Netherlands, with blatant disregard for his deteriorating health as evident in recent video meetings.
Journalists seeking experts usually turn to what they believe to be the more liberal experts on Filipino affairs, only to be met by liberal Marcos supporters or anti-everything-Duterte members. One such individual, Richard Heydarian, an academic and political scientist who is against Duterte, made a controversial statement comparing the education level of inhabitants in the Mindanao island of the Philippines at the level of sub-Saharan Africans, not only a racist remark but a demeaning one for the island dwellers.
Needless to say, the country is split in this entire affair. Anti-Duterte factions have made supportive rallies for the arrest. Meanwhile, thousands of people have taken to the streets in many cities in the Philippines and all over the world against the arrest and demanding the safe return of their president in good condition. Duterte supporters criticize the arrest as not being a legal move, but a political one - and illegal at that, due to the Supreme Court of the Philippines not issuing a warrant for the apprehension.