Former Philippine President Duterte Detained at ICC as Associate Arrested

Rodrigo Duterte is detained in Scheveningen prison in The Hague. During his initial appearance before the International Criminal Court, his voice trembled as he was asked to identify himself. Harry Roque is now a fugitive in Europe. He faces charges of qualified human trafficking that carry a penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.

On May 6, Franco Mabanta was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation for extortion. He was escorted to jail in handcuffs.

At the peak of his power, Duterte mocked almost everyone who displeased him. He directed comments at God, the Pope, judges of the International Criminal Court, and political opponents. ” In 2019, Franco Mabanta mocked vlogger Jover Laurio in a post that asked whether she should be paraded and yelled at with “shame, shame, shame” while being escorted to jail in handcuffs.

People in power often speak as though they will never be held accountable for their words or actions. But public life changes quickly and people will confront the consequences of the kind of world they helped shape. The article noted that none of this should be a source of celebration.

Misfortune, even when deserved, should not become spectacle. Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet about children building sand towers by the sea that stand briefly before being washed away. The ocean remains unmoved and endless, carrying on its rhythm long after the towers disappear.