A POST on social media showed the image of former President Rodrigo Duterte shaking hands with fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders during the recent summit of the same organization in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The images were displayed on the screen when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was introduced on stage.
Of course, according to the report from Kuala Lumpur, the images of the Presidents of all other countries that once held the chairmanship of the ASEAN were also shown as background when their Presidents were introduced and called to the stage.
However, from the way it was posted on social media, it was clear that the one who posted the picture was creating a negative image of the Philippine leader. Imagine splicing the video so just the post would create the message the vlogger or whoever the one who posted it wanted delivered – one that portrays the Philippine President, and the country, of course, in a very negative way.
Initially, when we first came across the post, we thought that some highly politically partisan personalities or groups might have taken advantage of modern technology where anything can be altered.
We have to admit that we did not immediately believe that the organizers of the Kuala Lumpur summit and the leaders of the other ASEAN nations would stoop to that level in showing their disgust for a fellow leader.
What enlightened us, though, was the clarification in the report that the images of the leaders of other countries who chaired the ASEAN were also shown when the attending current presidents were introduced.
Frankly, it is very hard to imagine how politics in our country creates enmity among the people. The highly partisan supporters of one political group or personality find every possible means to destroy the person of the enemy.
They do not miss any situation where they could create issues to destroy their political enemy. And splicing the video presentation during the ASEAN summit to belittle Marcos Jr. is one of those. Another is the continuous harping on the failure of the Philippines to get zero tariffs on the country’s products exported to the US.
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The defense lawyers of former President Rodrigo Duterte filed an appeal with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, to reverse its earlier ruling to proceed with its case against the former Philippine President.
Duterte is detained in an ICC jail for crimes against humanity, allegedly due to his bloody war on illegal drugs. Earlier, the ICC ruled that it has the authority to proceed with the investigation into Duterte’s war on drugs.
The appeal on the jurisdictional issue centers on the Philippines’ withdrawal as a member of the ICC. In denying an earlier petition of the defense team, the ICC believes it has jurisdiction because the crimes were alleged to have been committed during the time when the Philippines was still a member.
Of course, it is just normal for the camp of the former President to insist on its argument that the ICC jurisdiction on the accused ceased when the Philippines quit as a member.
The question, however, is that the same members of the ICC-Pre-trial chamber, who rejected Duterte’s earlier petition, will be ruling on the latest appeal submitted last Oct. 28, 2025.
Will the new arguments be enough to convince the Pre-trial Chamber members to reverse themselves?
The situation looks similar to the ruling of the Supreme Court, which stated that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte violated the Constitution, with a unanimous vote with one abstention and one absent.
The High Court ruling is under appeal by the Lower House. Will the 12 justices reverse themselves?
“Let us to see,” according to the late Davaoeño Senator Landring Almendras.
