OUR justice system’s bias towards the rich and powerful allows them to pervert our constitution and rule of law with impunity. This has existed since the birth of our republic and caused the marginalization of the majority of Filipinos.
This, however, does not give any one or group to seek redress of grievances against our biased justice system from a foreign entity. We must have the self-respect to own the problem and its solution or we do not deserve to be a sovereign nation at all.
Thus, for US senators to tell our courts to release Leila de Lima for what they, not our courts, declare as trumped up charges is to utterly disrespect our sovereignty over our justice system.
For the ICC (International Criminal Court) and the UN to intervene in the way we conduct the war against drugs is also to violate our sovereign right to govern ourselves. If rights are violated in the conduct of the drug war, we should unite to reform our institutions of law and justice and right wrongs without running to foreign entities for help.
Three obstacles, however, lie in the way of our attaining the capacity to solve our problems.
Factions of the oligarchy that take turns controlling the country’s economy have never demonstrated genuine interest in solving the nation’s problems. They have always been interested only in removing barriers (like an incumbent faction’s popularity) to their victory in the next round of elections. Thus no incumbent is ever rated as satisfactory by the opposition.
Two, our apathy and political immaturity have made us willing victims of the exclusivist political and economic policies of our leaders.
And three, we have allowed the ruling rich and powerful elite to divide and conquer us. Instead of uniting against our exclusion by an elitist ruling oligarchy we instead take sides with opposing factions that take turns marginalizing us. We allow them to shepherd us into submission in their camps.
Yet we have always united against foreign invasion. Our latest overall championship of the Southeast Asian Games (Seag) is one more proof of this. Filipinos from all walks of life and of different political and religious affiliations shamed squabbling politicians in their defense of the country’s honor as host.
Thus, I am half-hoping the ICC would invade us (arrest Duterte, how?). This could unite us behind a RevGov that he could declare in the event. The opposition, not the Filipino people, invited ICC in. Hence, it is safe to presume it comes to shore up the opposition’s political ramparts and not to help marginally living Filipinos.
So, yes, as scary as it may sound, I am half-hoping the ICC invasion would unite citizens in the defense of our nation’s sovereignty.