Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been the object of controversy now that he is no longer president and the International Criminal Court (ICC) is running after him so he could be prosecuted for his bloody war on drugs campaign when he was still the chief executive.
But though he is no longer in office, it’s not going to be that easy for the ICC. The incumbent president, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not allow it. He is not giving his consent that the former president is prosecuted by this foreign body of prosecutors. They have to ask permission from the president to be able to do that. And consent is not being granted so such prosecution is not likely to push through.
President Marcos Jr. maintains his stand regarding the issue. The ICC accordingly does not have jurisdiction over this case. Moreover, the drug war was part of Duterte’s internal policy and as such, no international body ought to intervene. Besides, the justice system in the country is functional and working. ICC can only intervene if a country’s justice system no longer works. But in the Philippines, it works, hence the decline of ICC’s prosecution offer.
From the critics’ point of view, however, President Marcos Jr. is just trying to save the old man from “criminal” liabilities, the two of them being allies politically. Instead of allowing the ICC to pursue justice for the victims, the president puts a stumbling block. The Duterte and Marcos supporters, on the other hand, see the ICC as intruders to our sovereignty, the prosecution job being none of their business, but is just politically motivated, courtesy of the Marcos-Duterte enemies.
Those citizens who hate drugs are wishing Duterte were still president so that drug trade and use will continually decline. Now that he is out of office as the former president, illegal drugs had once again proliferated in the country, threatening the youths, peace and order, and the future of our nation.
