As we do this piece, we have yet to hear something in favor or agreement with what was done to former president Rodrigo Duterte by the government.

From garbage men to bank employees (an entire branch) to Grab and Lalamove riders, maids, men in uniform, rich men, most were opposed, crying, cursing, having anxiety attacks and everything, asking so many questions about the events. Mainstream and social media showed the former president being forcibly taken from his motherland to the detention facility in The Hague, the Netherlands.

With the story developing, The Bridge had an opportunity to consolidate the concerned people’s narratives and discuss it here.

As a bystander and your bridge, I will reserve in the meantime my views and opinion but merely echo what I have and continue to hear, see and feel on the important national subject which has no historical precedent in this sovereign land.

The first question is how were the ICC-Interpol elements able to get in without notice, to behave as if they were the rulers of this land? They were able to forcibly take a citizen, a former president, at will. The irony of it is that our supposed peace and order force was a willing enforcer of the so-called warrant of arrest issued by the ICC against the former president for alleged crimes against humanity.

By the way, the people heard what the President said when he faced the nation — that the government cooperated with the ICC-Interpol agents in the arrest of his predecessor. Well, DoJ Secretary Remulla in a statement admitted that the chartered plane that brought FPRRD to The Hague was paid for by the Office of the President.

Second, if the Philippines was no longer a party to the ICC, since 13 March 2019, why were these foreigners, Interpol in identity, able to exercise police power over us Filipinos?

Third, a major argument for the ICC, in accordance with its rules, to come in is if a member country has no working justice system. The ICC says we don’t have one. Is that not a discourtesy, slap or repudiation of our own Supreme Court and the Philippine justice system, CJ Alexander Gesmundo? How come the entire Philippine legal structure was set aside or taken for granted by foreign nationals?

The fourth question is how come the former president was not given the opportunity, as a matter of legal right, to avail of the services of his chosen lawyers? Duterte’s lawyers were kept outside the Villamor Airbase gate, on orders of M/Gen Nicolas Torre III.

(Continued next Sunday)

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