14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Big Fish The arrest of Duterte is a significant step for justice in the Philippines’ drug war—and for the ICC. By Walden Bello FORUM While he was president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, Rodrigo Duterte evoked tremendous controversy both at home and internationally owing to his bloody “war on drugs.” As many as 30,000 Filipinos, according to human rights groups, were victims of his presidency’s most publicized and cruelest policy—a war he waged on his own citizens. On March 11, he was again the center of international attention, with his dramatic arrest on the tarmac of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is a move that has divided the country: embraced as a long-overdue action or condemned as an illegal encroachment. It reflects the 16th president’s continuing ability to set Filipinos against one another. At a press conference after Duterte’s arrest, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asserted that the government had no choice but to honor a warrant of arrest delivered by Interpol, which is authorized to serve warrants issued by the International Criminal Court. To most Filipinos, pro- or anti-Duterte, Marcos Jr. was being disingenuous—he handed Duterte over to the ICC not only to fulfill his government’s international obligations but also, if not mainly, to eliminate a powerful rival. Had it not been for an ongoing struggle for power between the Dutertes and the Marcoses, the ICC’s most momentous action yet since it was established in 2002 would not have been possible. In expletive-filled testimony at a hearing in the Philippine Senate last October, Duterte was confident enough that he was untouchable that he confessed proudly to running a death squad in Davao City, while he was mayor there, before he became president: “I can make the confession now if you want,” he said. “I had a death squad of seven, but they were not policemen, they were also gangsters.” International reaction from quarters expected to be pro-Duterte has so far been surprisingly muted. Donald Trump has not made any public statements about the arrest even though his ire for the ICC is well-known: He issued an executive order prohibiting the ICC from investigating and prosecuting U.S. officials and American allies, notably Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. China, meanwhile, has taken the former president’s side, warning the ICC to “avoid” politicizing the issue. The ICC’s record in its nearly quarter-century of existence may justify the skepticism: It has convicted only six men of crimes against humanity, all of them from the Global South and none of the stature of Duterte. If the former Philippine president is tried and found guilty of crimes against humanity, it will be a win not only for his thousands of victims and their families but also for global justice and international law, the sort of victory that can only strengthen the ICC and give it the determination and stamina to go after the so-called bigger fish. Walden Bello is co-chair of the Bangkok-based research and advocacy institute Focus on the Global South. This story first ran in The Nation. OPINION The ICC has convicted only six of crimes against humanity. ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES Stop By To Shop And Find Your Vintage Treasure OVER 100 DEALERS 21,000 SQUARE FEET The Largest Antiques and Collectibles Mall on the Central Coast 471 WAVE STREET MONTEREY (831) 655-0264 P M canneryrowantiquemall.com Open Daily 11am-6pm ’24 Voted Monterey County's Best Antique Shop ♦ 3 Card Poker ♠ Century 21st No Bust Black Jack ♣ Texas Hold’em ♥ Baccarat FULL BAR! BLACKJACK BONUS POINTS PAYS UP TO $20,000 SMALL TOWN BIG PAYOUTS! 1-800-Gambler • Gega-003846, Gega-Gega-003703, Gega-000889 Gega-000891 Gega-002838 The Marina Club Casino ensures the safety and security of all guests and team members at all times, while providing exceptional service. 204 Carmel Ave. Marina 831-384-0925 casinomonterey.com ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Just minutes from Downtown Monterey Where Monterey Comes To Play
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