WALANG GULO SA PAGKAKAKULONG NI GONGDI

lISANG taon na sa piitan ng ICC si Gongdi, ngunit nanatiling walang epekto ang panggagatong (o gaslighting) kanyang mga kapanalig. Walang kaguluhan ang pagdakip sa kanya saktong isang taon na ang nakalipas. Hindi sila epektib. 

Nandiyan ang puganteng si Harry Roque na nagtitiling tumatawag ng “people power” bilang protesta sa pag-aresto kay Gongdi. May mga pahayag si Misfit Sara at mga kapatid na tila mga baliw na nagbabanta ng samang-samang pagkilos ng mga kaalyado ni Gongdi at pamilya ngunit hanggang ngawngaw lang sila. Hindi sila sineseryoso.

Ayon kay Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V ng La Union,  bigo ang mga tangka ng mga kaalyado ni Duterte na tumawag ng pag-aklas upang ugain at pahinain ang gobyerno ni BBM. Kahit nagngangawa sila, baligtad ang nangyari, aniya. Gumanda ang  ekonomiya natin, aniya.

Patuloy ang kilos protesta pero walang kaguluhan. Malaya sila magpahayag ng saloobin nila dahil demokrasya tayo, ani Ortega. “So, for me, tingin ko they will try to make noise, they will try to have their rallies, pero tingin ko hindi naman siya mag-cause ng direct na instability,” dagdag ni Ortega. 

Tanggap ni Kin. Jude Acidre ng Tingog Party List ang walang katapusang ingay ng kampo ni Gongdi. “The noisy one will always be noisy eh. That’s one thing for sure. Pero kung kakagatin ng tao, ako alam ko, I doubt,” sabi ni Acidre.

Tinukoy ni Acidre ang matatag na polisiyang pangkabuhayan ng administrasyong BBM, propesyonalismo ng alagad ng batas ,at ang pagbibigay halaga sa hustisya kaya nanatiling matatag ang ekonomiya. “We’ve seen kung paano ang ekonomiya natin. Katulad ng sinabi ni Cong. Paolo, maganda ang fundamentals natin. Pangalawa, naipakita natin hindi lang sa ating bansa, kung hindi sa buong mundo na the rule of law is applied equally to everyone in this country,” aniya.

Idinagdag ni Acidre na ang pag-aresto kay Duterte ay hindi isang panghuhusga sa buong sistema ng hustisya sa bansa kundi isang patunay na maaaring gumana ang mga internasyonal na mekanismo kapag nabigo ang lokal.

“Obviously during the time that it was happening and during the time that the cases were filed pwede nating masabi na ganun nga. Kasi before naman ‘yan umabot sa ICC, nag-file din ‘yan sa piskalya, nag-file sa prosecutors, nagreklamo sa police. Wala tayong nakitang intentful attempt to prosecute or investigate. Kaya siguro umabot na sila sa The Hague,” ani Acidre. Ngunit hindi aniya maaaring sabihin na ang pag-aresto ng ICC kay Duterte ay pagsuko ng ating soberanya.

“The fact that we are part and we are able to join an international proceeding such as the ICC is already an act of sovereignty. Di naman siguro tayo i-entertain dun if it’s not for our sovereignty,” aniya. Sinabi ni Acidre na ang pakikipagtulungan ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa pagdakip kay Gongdi ay naaayon sa umiiral na lokal at internasyonal na batas.

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HINDI totoo na labag sa batas ang pagdakip ng ICC kay Gongdi. Narito ang mga katwiran:

LEGALITY AND CONSTITUTIONALITY OF DIGONG’S ARREST

• The 1987 Constitution says, “The Philippines xxx adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land” (Art. II, Sec. 2) and one of the generally-accepted principles of international law is called “pacta sund servanda” which means “you MUST comply with your treaty obligation.”

 

• The Philippines became a State party (via the treaty) to the Rome Statute (ICC) from Nov. 2, 2011 to March 16, 2019, the time when the Duterte government withdrew from the ICC.

 

• Therefore, between Nov. 2, 2011 to March 17, 2019 (the date when the withdrawal to the ICC took effect), the Philippines is still bound to or under the terms to oblige or comply with the Treaty. Under Art. 11, Sec. 2 of the 1987 Constitution, the Philippines cannot question it, and instead, “You must follow it, no questions asked.”

 

•  Duterte’s arrest is part of the prosecution process based on complaints lodged before the ICC holding him liable for the spate of EJKs during his term as president 2016 to 2022 where the victims were estimated to be as low as 6,0000 to a high of 30,000.

 

• The Duterte camp claims that the treaty with ICC had been abrogated since March 17, 2022 but the ICC still retains jurisdiction to PH prior to leaving the The Hague-based global anti-crime body. Many of the EJK cases were carried out when he was still Mayor of Davao City, carried out by an elaborate network of vigilantes often referred to as vigilantes and/or DDS.

 

• Even if Duterte rescinded the treaty on March 17, 2022, he is still liable for the EJKs between said date and Nov. 22, 2011, when the treaty with ICC is still in effect, the period when it bound itself to certain obligations that it “imposed upon itself.” A lawyer said it waives a tiny portion of its sovereignty under the doctrine of “auto-limitation.”

• Therefore, Digong’s camp cannot lay claim that he is free and has no liability on his alleged crimes against humanity because they transpired while the treaty signed by the Philippine government is still in effect.