I Notice Something

I notice something.

There are recent movements towards the Philippines opening doors for the International Criminal Court to investigate former President Duterte’s drug war. There are resolutions in Congress. Sen. Hontiveros has just recently passed a resolution in the Senate. I don’t think we have heard categorical and direct statements from Malacanang. But there’s something in the air that feels like they’re leaning towards joining the ICC again. Sen. Bato de la Rosa seems to be getting scared. At the start of this current administration, it was made clear by the President himself that the nation is not cooperating with any ICC investigation. In fact, I believe, the Philippines has completely cut ties with them. But there seems to be a recent wave of renewed daring to make a stand and strike towards letting the investigators in to probe the previous administration’s long suspicious violent campaign against illegal substance. All along, I thought, that was already a done deal.

These interesting developments come after the release of former Senator De Lima after six years of detention. I was actually thinking that the only way that the poor former Senator de Lima would have a taste of freedom is if the US Navy Seals would drop off from a chopper over Bilibid, break her out and fly her out to a waiting aircraft carrier some distance off Manila Bay. Of course, that wouldn’t happen, so she was bound to stay in jail. But look at that; she’s free. The current DOJ Secretary, Atty. Harry Roque and the former President all seem to be forced to respect the judge’s decision, which we all should after all. Former DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre still insists to cast doubt on de Lima’s innocence citing the length of six years which purportedly should have not passed before her release. He may have forgotten about the case of Hubert Webb and co-accused. That took a long time. But after that long time, they had been acquitted innocent.

Before de Lima’s release, Congress quashed Vice President Sarah Duterte’s request for billions worth of confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and DepEd. She got a massive wave of support in the Senate; then, congress comes from behind and blocks that shot from the basket, sending the ball out the court, never to be recovered again, much to the irritation of Daddy dearest. All along, I thought that she had the support of the majority of the legislators. They did manage to close ABS-CBN down. Before, as far as I could remember, they bowed and bowed down to the VP’s requests. All of a sudden, they took a stand and took strike. In the Senate front, Sen. Hontiveros swung and swung as she made the VP explain what the funds are for. The tide seems to be turning against the Vice President.

Somewhere between these events, Congress and Senate dropped regular business and sat together for the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida. In case, you don’t know, Japan also has a misunderstanding with China about the sea that separates their two countries. It seems to me, Japan has been itching to knock the other’s head but has been keeping things diplomatic. Before all the aforementioned events, the current President’s administration has taken a tough stand against China’s decades long encroachment on our territorial waters. The Philippine Coast Guard had brazenly removed Chinese installed floating barriers in the said body of water, and has stressed that they will remove them again if they were put back. That got me thinking. Does that mean that the previous administration just let trespassers install barriers within our fences? With this renewed strong stand against our favorite Asian neighbor, we’re surely going to need other neighborly support; and they are more than willing to lend that support. US, Australia, EU, Japan and our Southeast Asian brothers in the block are all in.

I believe that it is important to note that the West: US and Eu have long expressed dislike against the Duterte drug war, desiring for justice for the victims. They have also expressed support for the release of former Sen. De lima whom they believe to have been unfairly detained. At the start of the BBM administration, when they were not yet taking these recent strong stands against China, they were also strongly supporting the denial of any form of approval for any ICC investigation. When this administration started to take strong stands against China, confidential funds for the VP were denied, de Lima was finally released, and joining ICC again is being considered. Do you notice anything?

Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”