ICC picks ‘easiest targets’ – expert
The International Criminal Court (ICC) took advantage of a feud between two of the most powerful families in the Philippines to arrest the country’s former President Rodrigo Duterte, Daniel Hugo Santos, who works as an analyst at the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, has told RT.
The ICC opened an inquiry into anti-drug operations by the Philippine police in 2021 and issued an arrest warrant against Duterte in January, three years after his term in office expired.
According to Hugo Santos, the former president’s rift with the current leader Bongbong Marcos “has caused the ICC to speed up the process.”
The feud between Duterte and Marcos, representing the two most powerful political dynasties, was triggered by personal accusations and policy disagreements. Duterte accused Marcos of consolidating power and drug use, while Marcos dismissed these claims, referencing Duterte’s use of the painkiller fentanyl. Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, publicly threatened President Marcos and his family, leading to the start of impeachment proceedings last month.
The ICC picks the “easiest targets” such as “developing countries in the Global South,” exposing its own “double standards,” Hugo Santos said.
Duterte, 79, was detained at Manila’s international airport, flown to The Hague, and placed in the custody of the ICC on Wednesday. He is accused of crimes against humanity linked to a ‘war on drugs’ during his presidency between 2016 and 2022.
