Zosimo Lee of the Department of Philosophy at the University of the Philippines, when he said that: “The initial session of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Duterte case was done in such an elegant even solemn manner that it truly intimated the majesty of the law. Furthermore, this trial will help to expand cosmopolitan norms, institutionalize them, strengthen the scope of international laws, and perhaps serve as a warning to all tyrants, authoritarians, and dictators that the long arm of the law will one day catch up [with] them.” On the validity of Duterte’s arrest, it is my view that it is nonsense for his counsel and minions to raise that issue. In the words of former ICC judge Raul Pangalangan: “The court [is] validating the arrest [since] to do otherwise is a disincentive to constructive cooperation between the court and the state to the detriment of the interest of the ICC itself.” The stand of the court confronts a very practical need. The arrest is indispensable to that.” It is utterly disgusting that propaganda from Duterte fanatics has framed the ICC trial as a fight between a Third World country and the “Whites” or the “West.” What is further shocking is how this rubbish narrative is being swallowed by “pseudo-patriots” and even some academics. As noted by the Katipunan’s Kartilya, tenet number 8: “Defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before the law or in the field.” We must highlight the universalist spirit of the Katipunan aspirations in light and in consideration of what is happening in contemporary society. Read Full Story
