Daring bluff?

Dear Editor,

The recent brouhaha over the House Quadcomm hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has been the talk of the town the past days. And why not?

The former president once again drew attention to himself when he dared the International Criminal Court to investigate him for his role in the war on drugs, amid the ongoing ICC probe into the bloody crackdown which claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos.

Duterte was his old confident self when he faced grilling by members of the House of Representatives and the testimonies given by resource persons including former Senator Leila de Lima and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

During the course of the hearing, the former president lost his cool following the statements of Trillanes, and while cooler heads prevailed, it seemed that critics of the former president were able to push the right buttons to ensure that the people’s perception of Duterte will change.

However, Duterte’s bravado raises questions about his confidence in the face of potential prosecution.

“That’s why I am asking the ICC, through you, to go here and start the investigation. If I am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for all time,” Duterte said, raising a lot of eyebrows.

To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken the position of Duterte that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines. Marcos deemed it a “threat to our sovereignty” which we think we can all agree on.

It is common knowledge that Duterte’s war on drugs — launched in 2016 — had been a controversial from the very beginning as human rights groups accused the police and vigilante squads of extrajudicial killings, with estimates of the death toll ranging from thousands to tens of thousands.

Duterte’s dare to the ICC can be interpreted several ways as some see it as a defiant act, a way to deflect criticism and shore up his support among his base.

Others believe it is a calculated move, a way to goad the ICC into taking action. A formal investigation by the ICC would likely drag on for years, potentially outlasting any legal threats to Duterte himself.

Following all the statements against the former president, it is now clear that the ICC’s investigation into the drug war is a complex and ongoing process and Duterte’s dare adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

It is too early to tell what the outcome of the investigation will be but one thing is clear — the ICC’s investigation is a significant development in the fight for accountability in the Philippines.

Duterte’s legacy will likely be defined by his war on drugs. His supporters see him as a strong leader who took decisive action to combat crime. His critics see him as a ruthless dictator who presided over a wave of extrajudicial killings.

The ICC’s investigation could provide some answers to these questions.

Unless the former president will call his own daring bluff, the resolution to this matter remains to be seen.

Buena Salido

buensal_2001@yahoo.com