Former Philippine leader Duterte arrested on an ICC warrant over drug killings - Headline
Reigniting my interest triggered by the above headline, I revisited my ATABAY archive. I stumbled upon The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in my February 21, 2023, article International Criminal Court: PBBM’s Albatross.
In the poem, an albatross follows a ship setting out to sea, symbolizing good fortune. But the mariner, in a fateful act, shoots the albatross with a crossbow – an act that will curse the ship and its crew to endure terrible misfortunes. Unable to speak up for their blame due to lack of water, the crew ties the dead bird around the mariner’s neck as a sign of his guilt – a haunting metaphor for an inescapable burden.
If we reimagine this metaphor, replacing the albatross with the ICC, the ship with the Philippines, the mariner with President Bongbong Marcos (PBBM), the crossbow with non-cooperation in the ICC’s investigation of Duterte’s extrajudicial killings, and the crew with the Filipino people, a cascade of questions emerges:
Will PBBM’s cooperation with the ICC bring good fortune to the Philippines, rather than a burden?
Does the crew’s silent blame mirror the disunity among Filipinos today?
What do the “curse” and “terrible misfortunes” signify in our national context?
And what does the “lack of water” mean in a country surrounded by it?
As a college professor then, I often ended my lectures with a familiar refrain: “For your homework…”
So, here’s your homework: reflect on this metaphor in light of the breaking news about the ICC’s arrest of Duterte. Consider its implications for our nation and its people.
The following creative piece was taken from my October 21, 2023, ATABAY article Coffee Shop Chat: ICC - A Bitter Pill for PH To Heal, and retouched a bit below:
Peter: Morning, guys! How’s everyone doing?
Paul: All good here. You?
Mary: Same here, thank God.
Peter: Honestly, I’m still fuming about what happened under Duterte. Did you see the COA report? P19 billion in secret funds during his term. Nineteen billion! And not one of us - 115 million Filipinos – knows where it went.
Mary: Nineteen billion. That’s 19 followed by nine zeros. It’s mind-boggling.
Paul: I read somewhere that P1 billion in 1,000-peso bills would stack up to a 36-story skyscraper. So, for P19 billion, we’re talking 19 skyscrapers of cash.
Peter: And to make it worse, Duterte admitted he used that sort of money to hire assassins when he was mayor.
Mary: Pet, I get it, but his time is over. We’ve got a fresh start now.
Paul: Mary’s right. Let’s not get stuck in the past. We need to focus on what’s ahead.
Peter: I wish I could, but, I can’t just “move on.” Thousands were killed in his war on drugs. Corruption, abuse of power, attacks on democracy and human rights – it’s too much to brush aside.
Mary: I hear you, Pet. I was furious too. But we can’t change what’s done. What matters is what we do now and in the future.
Paul: Exactly. Don’t lose hope, Pet. There’s still a way forward for our country.
Peter: And what’s that, Paul? Tell me.
Paul: The International Criminal Court. The ICC.
Peter: The ICC? What’s that?
Paul: It’s a permanent international court that investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of grave crimes - genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. It’s about ending impunity, promoting accountability, and fostering justice and peace.
Peter: Sounds promising. How does it work?
Paul: The ICC doesn’t replace national courts; it complements them. It steps in when local systems can’t or won’t prosecute these crimes.
Peter: So, how can the ICC help us heal from Duterte’s bloody legacy?
Paul: By doing a lot, actually:
1. Investigating and prosecuting those most responsible for the crimes.
2. Providing reparations and recognition to victims and their families.
3. Exposing the truth and debunking the lies about what happened.
4. Punishing the guilty while protecting the innocent from further harm.
5. Sending a clear message that no one is above the law, deterring future abuses.
Peter: Wow! Paul. That’s… a lot to take in. But it makes sense. Thanks for breaking it down.
Paul: The ICC is our chance to restore trust in the rule of law and human rights. It’s a step toward healing – for our country and people.
Peter: I get it now. The ICC isn’t just about justice; it’s about hope.
Mary: Same here. My perspective on the ICC has shifted too.
Paul: I hope we’re not the only ones. If we can be part of the change, part of the movement to heal our country, that’s our duty as Filipinos. It’s our way of saying we believe in hope, second chances, and change. God bless us all – and God bless the Philippines.
The following excerpt wrapped up my January 27, 2024, ATABAY article ICC Cryptic Message: The Stones Will Cry Out, and polished below:
As I scrolled through my feed, a post by Jingjing, an FB friend, caught my eye. It featured a peculiar photo of a pile of stones, accompanied by the question: “Can you figure out what it says?”
The post had sparked a flurry of responses, one of which said, “Jing, it gives me a headache.” Fair enough – it was an optical illusion, the kind that teases and tricks the eye. But some sharp-eyed viewers cracked the code: “The stones will cry out.”
The phrase, as it turns out, is drawn from Jesus’ words in the Bible (Luke 19:40): “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stone would cry out.”
And in that moment, the metaphor became strikingly clear. The “they” in this context could only be the silenced victims of Duterte’s bloody drug war. Their voices, though stifled, cannot be erased. Like the stones in the photo, their cries for justice will find a way to be heard.
This is where the ICC steps in – not only as a court but as a vessel of hope. It promises accountability, truth, and a future where the rule of law prevails. It is a path to healing for our country and for us, Filipinos, a way to confront the shadows of the past and move toward a brighter horizon.
In the end, justice has a way of finding its voice. And when it does, it will not be silenced – not by power, not by fear, not by time. The stones will cry out, and the world will listen.
Content and editing put together in collaboration with Microsoft Bing AI-powered Co-pilot
Head photos courtesy of Rappler & Getty Images
Still photos courtesy of Getty Images, iStock, Philstar, Facebook, & Shutterstock
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