The recent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Police Organization based on the warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague, Netherlands had sparked a brewing debate among the Filipinos whether or not the same was legal. Each of them, depending on their political alignments, had their piece to say about the latest incident that caught the people by surprise. The former Chief Executive is now under the ICC’s custody for the conduct of the necessary hearings prior to judgement that will be rendered in the future.
Surely, it will be a long and grueling process as the parties have to present their respective evidences to either disprove or prove such allegations of war crimes against the former President. While the legal process is underway, Filipinos are continuously exchanging their views in the various social media platforms and in ordinary discussions up to the extent that there are heated arguments that tend to go out of control. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that they deserve to be accorded the utmost respect.
What is ironic about our current situation is that we tend to hate our fellowmen who do not share our opinion. There are long time friends and even relatives and family members who are now actually quarrelling because of their differing opinions on this historic development in the Philippines. Evidently, Filipinos tend to be fanatics which is considered a bad behavior because we do not need to sacrifice our relationships for a senseless matter that is beyond our control right from the start. What we cannot understand is that there are people who are really subjective about the issue that they no longer tend to listen to the legitimate opinions and even the legal positions of those who know and understand the law.
Admittedly, emotions are high at this point that is why there is no use in engaging people who already have made up their minds and have come out with their own conclusions that they believe is correct. The matter is a purely legal matter that could only be resolved by no less than the ICC. Separate petitions were also filed before the Supreme Court where the Duterte camp is seeking legal remedies that will allow him to be brought back to the country but as of press time, the High Court did not grant the requested temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary or permanent injunction against the service of the ICC-issued warrant of arrest against the former leader.
We should be calm and sober and let the law take its course. Let us not allow our emotions to affect our logical thinking and decision-making as it might further aggravate the current divisiveness in the country caused by the service of the ICC issued warrant of arrest against the former President. Let us continue doing our daily routine in life because his arrest has not materially affected our lives, except perhaps those who materially benefitted from the former strong man’s rule.
We should put in our minds that Filipinos are just being used by the feuding political camps to advance their own personal and political interests and not the general welfare of the populace, especially now that the elections are near. Every political camp, whether administration or opposition, have their own personal and political interest on the matter that they want to exploit to their advantage at the expense of the Filipino people. Let us not allow ourselves to be involved deeply in this matter to the extent that we quarrel with friends and relatives because we will not actually directly benefit from it. The ones that will surely benefit from the issue are the ones with political inclinations in preparation for the upcoming May 12, 2025 mid-term elections and the May 2028 presidential polls which is actually just around the corner.
While we are updating ourselves on the latest development on the said issue, we must continue working hard on our priorities. Let us remember that no matter how fanatic we are to a certain political figure in our country, they do not actually personally know us because their interest lies on those easily believe in their political antics to influence others and create a bandwagon for themselves. May we be enlightened on the fact that even if we spend to organize gatherings in support of the former President or the present administration, they are simply laughing inside themselves because they know that they are gaining the attention of the Filipinos and winning their hearts on a matter that is purely personal to them and to their own advantage for whatever purpose in the future.
