The other night there was a prayer-rally conducted in the barangay gym in our place. The prayer-rally was for former President Rodrigo Duterte who was whisked to The Hague, Netherlands where the headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is located. The former President is charged with Crime Against Humanity at the said court as an offshoot of the alleged extra-judicial killings done during his “war on drugs” where thousands of deaths were attributed.
The prayer-rally in our Barangay Talandang, Tugbok district was participated by representatives coming from the neighboring barangays of New Carmen, New Valencia, and Biao Escuela. The rally participants prayed for the safety of the former President and hopefully for his early return to the country.
While it was a hastily prepared activity it was clear that the former chief executive of the country and former Davao City Mayor has still the continuous support of his constituents. This was based on the large number of people who attended the prayer-rally despite the suddenness of the holding of the activity. Imagine it being done barely twelve hours after the departure of the plane carrying him to The Hague!
We also learned that similar prayer-rallies were simultaneously held in Cebu City, in Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian City and several other areas in both the Visayas and Mindanao. But can the simultaneous action create a miracle? Can it change the thinking of the judges of the ICC so as to reverse their earlier actions against the ex-President?
On the other hand, will the Supreme Court grant the petition of those who seek its intervention like restraining the bringing of the former President to The Hague when the magistrates knew Duterte was already flown out of the country?
Besides, the ones sought to be ordered prevented are Philippine government officials starting from the President down to the last officer who has a stake in the Duterte arrest and subsequent turn-over to the ICC.
And if such Supreme Court ruling to the petition is given by the Highest Court can the President force the ICC to return Duterte back to the Philippine Authorities?
Meanwhile, there are social media posts, specifically on Facebook, that former President Duterte’s going to The Hague without any apparent complaint or actions manifesting objection is a product of the former Philippine leader’s shrewd mind – some kind of a trap that he could use to exonerate him from the charges at the expense of the incumbent President and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Whether such assertion is true or not, that one is worth waiting by the Filipinos, no matter how long the waiting time.
But can the former President get out of the rut he is in? There are those who advance the theory that it is quite hard. What with some of the most damaging evidence emanating from himself. His statements made during the hearings in both the Senate and the House where the former leader categorically and under oath, said he takes “full responsibility” of the killings made by the police during his “war on drugs.” Other than that he told the hearing committees that he instructed the police agents involved in operations against suspected drug personalities or groups to “encourage the suspects to fight” instead of surrendering. In that way the operatives will have reason to shoot the suspects. And all these were, again, said under oath.
According to a strong Duterte critic – former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, all the transcript of the Senate and House hearing proceedings were forwarded to the ICC.
In other words it will now be the former President’s personal expertise and shrewdness in international criminal laws as well as the skills of his ICC-accredited lawyers in dealing with the ways of the ICC judges that can lead to his acquittal.
Of course knowing the Davaoeno former President the multitude of his supporters believe he has several aces as provision in his journey. And without doubt he will use these up to the last of all the cards.
Meanwhile, the Filipinos are having their ears cocked and eyes focused on every group action happening anywhere in the country. They sure will busy themselves monitoring movements that may lead to another version of a people power.
It is clearly observable though that a highly regionalized pro-Duterte protests would be difficult to be consolidated in the center of the seat of power without getting noticed before regional protesters can even set their journey.
This, we believe, will make a new people power extremely difficult to assemble unless businesses and other moneyed pro-former President backers will foot the bills of transporting huge number of people and feeding them while in the capital center to drive the Malacanang tenant out.
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