Reopening old wounds at ICC

Old wounds reopened at the confirmation of charges hearing before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where prosecutors laid out what they described as a systematic and well-coordinated killing spree linked to the so-called Davao Death Squad. Though former President Rodrigo Duterte was physically absent, his shadow loomed large over the proceedings.

For families of the victims, the hearing was more than a legal milestone. It was a fragile affirmation that their years of grief, fear and persistence were not in vain. Many have endured stigma and intimidation while clinging to the hope that an international tribunal might succeed where domestic remedies failed. They should be allowed to testify fully and freely. Justice demands that their voices be heard, unfiltered and unthreatened.

Yet even this modest expectation is mired in suspicion. In the hyper-politicized climate surrounding the drug war, anyone who assists these families with logistical expenses for travel to The Netherlands risks being branded partisan. That reflexive skepticism is telling. It suggests that accountability itself has become a political act. But supporting victims in their pursuit of legal redress is not electioneering; it is an affirmation of due process.

The defense’s position appears increasingly untenable. Rather than squarely addressing the substance of the allegations, counsel have portrayed Duterte as a patriot devoted to public welfare. Patriotism, however, is not a legal defense to crimes against humanity. If the killings were indeed widespread and systematic, as prosecutors allege, no invocation of public order can erase individual criminal responsibility.

More troubling was the defense’s swipe at the media, accusing journalists of cherry-picking and magnifying the drug war’s excesses. That argument sidesteps the fact that the prosecution’s evidence includes Duterte’s own public speeches. These statements are not media fabrications; they are part of the record. And they are merely the opening salvo. The court has yet to hear from victims’ families whose testimonies could prove far more searing than any headline.

The coming months will test the resilience of institutions and the patience of a polarized nation. A pivotal question lingers: when will arrest warrants be issued for alleged co-perpetrators? Such a move would send shockwaves through Duterte’s political base and signal that accountability, if it comes, will not be selective.

For now, the ICC proceedings have done one thing unmistakably: they have forced the country to confront wounds that never truly healed.