WORLD UNCONVINCED ARREST NOT ‘POLITICAL REVENGE’

DESPITE Malacañang trying its very best to control the narrative that the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte is in honor of the country’s international commitments and not about politics, the rest of the world is not convinced.

Asked during her regular press briefing on March 11, the day Duterte was arrested, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of China, acknowledged it was an “an important sudden incident” and that China is “closely following how this might develop.”

Mao also reminded the International Criminal Court (ICC) “should strictly follow the principle of complementarity, exercise its functions and powers prudently in accordance with the law and prevent politicization or double standards” of Duterte’s case.

The Hindustan Times’ ‘In-Depth’ segment on March 12 seconded China’s position on the ICC being used as a political weapon, asking: ‘Is Duterte’s arrest being used as a political tool,’ as the segment went on to point out that on its own, the ICC cannot make any arrest without the cooperation of the concerned government, in this case, the Philippines.

“And who is in power in Manila right now,” anchor Ananya Dutta asked. “This man, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Dutta noted, as a video clip of President Marcos Jr. was flashed on the screen while she adds, “who has made no qualms about his hatred towards Duterte.”

The segment went on to point out that the ICC is powerless in effecting the arrest of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu in November 2024 for war crimes and the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and another for Putin in March 2023 for the alleged deportation to Russia of Ukrainian children.

“Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest may seem like a big win for the ICC but it only exposes the court’s weakness. His detention was driven by Philippine politics, not ICC’s power,” Dutta added.

“But against world leaders like Russia, the US, China or Israel, it becomes a toothless entity.”

Al Jazeera’s ‘Inside Story,’ segment on March 12, also noted that “domestic politics may have played a role” in Duterte’s arrest, “as Duterte made an enemy of the sitting president (President Marcos).”

“So is justice being served or is international law being weaponized for political gain,” the anchor asked.

The ‘Democracy Now’ channel of Amy Goodman segment last March 12, although favorable to the government’s version also questioned the ICC’s inability to arrest Netanyahu or Putin.

Turkey’s TRT Newsmakers’ broadcast the same day also raised the question whether Duterte’s arrest is about justice for victims of extra-judicial killings or political revenge on the part of President Marcos.

It also raised the argument that President Marcos acting “quickly” on the ICC arrest warrant against Duterte “was a convenient way to fend off political challenges” ahead of the country’s midterm polls this May.

In his report on March 11, Jonathan Head, BBC Southeast Asia correspondent said Duterte’s arrest was a “big moment and a rather surprising one” as anyone did not expect the Marcos administration “to move so swiftly and ruthlessly” after receiving a copy of the warrant from the ICC.

Head noted that no one was aware that the ICC had already issued a warrant against Duterte since March 7 as it had opted not to post the warrant on its website and added that Duterte’s arrest is a “divisive issue” in the Philippines.