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Don’t give up Bato

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron
  • Senator’s wife makes urgent judicial appeal to block ICC ‘surrender’ 

THE WIFE of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa entered the political fray by appealing to Supreme Court justices to protect her husband from being whisked by government authorities to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. 

Nancy Dela Rosa posted her statement on Facebook on Monday, May 25, on the heels of the arrest warrant issued by the ICC Trial Chamber III’s against the senator for his role in the deadly drug war launched by former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

In her open letter addressed directly to the country’s judges and legal institutions, she said that complying or surrendering a Filipino citizen to an international tribunal would be an admission of institutional weakness and a severe blow to national sovereignty.

“Granting the people in power permission to voluntarily surrender another Filipino is an admission that you are weak and incapable of handling this case,” Dela Rosa stated. “This is just another case sensationalized only by politics. Please do not waver or give in.”

Dela Rosa emphasized that the judiciary does not have the luxury of time for extended technical debates, claiming that political adversaries are actively closing in on her husband.

Drawing sharp contrasts between past and present administrations, she argued that while the older Duterte administration went to great lengths to bring overseas Filipinos home, the current political establishment is doing the exact opposite.

“If we must learn from the Duterte case, it is that we must not give up another Filipino,” she stressed. “Please do not give up your responsibility for our countrymen. Please fight for our sovereign rights.”

Framing the battle as both a personal struggle for her family and a legal fight for the nation, Dela Rosa rallied the public to amplify her message across digital platforms until it reached the highest offices of the judicial branch.

As of press time, representatives from the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice have not issued an official response to the statement.

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‘Invictus’: Kitty Duterte defies ICC ruling following jurisdiction loss

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

VERONICA “Kitty” Duterte, the youngest daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, broke her silence on Thursday with a defiant message, following a major legal setback for her father at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Her statement comes after the ICC Appeals Chamber officially confirmed the court’s jurisdiction over the investigation into the “war on drugs,” rejecting the appeal filed by the former president’s defense team.

In an interview with Alvin & Tourism, which quickly gained traction on social media, Kitty Duterte addressed her father’s critics directly, suggesting that political and legal opposition would fail to diminish his legacy.

“No matter how much you hate PRRD, there will always be millions who loved him just as much or even more,” she wrote. “If you think you will win, no, you won’t, because either way—Invictus.”

The term “Invictus” (Latin for “unconquered”) is a direct reference to the Victorian-era poem by William Ernest Henley, which famously celebrates resilience and personal autonomy in the face of adversity.

She echoed the poem’s closing lines to characterize her father’s stance:

“I am the master of my own destiny, I am the captain of my own soul.”

By rejecting the defense’s appeal, the ICC has cleared a significant procedural hurdle, allowing the prosecutor to continue investigating alleged crimes against humanity committed during the administration’s anti-drug campaign.

The Duterte defense team had argued that the ICC lost jurisdiction when the Philippines officially withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019. However, the court maintained that it retains authority over crimes allegedly committed while the country was still a member state.

While human rights advocates hailed the ICC ruling as a step toward accountability, the Duterte family continues to frame the proceedings as an infringement on Philippine sovereignty and a personal attack on a leader they believe remains a hero to millions.

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BAYAN-Southern Mindanao: Planned US military depot in Davao Region a ‘grave violation’ of Philippine sovereignty

by Rhoda Grace Saron
written by Rhoda Grace Saron

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Southern Mindanao denounced and strongly condemned the planned US military oil depot in Davao Region, considering it a grave violation of Philippine sovereignty.

The planned US depot is targeted to be constructed along the western coast of the Davao Gulf, covering areas in Davao City and Davao del Sur.

BAYAN noted that on March 31, the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) issued a formal solicitation for contractors to bid on a Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP) project in the said area. 

“BAYAN-Southern Mindanao rejects the DFSP project as it constitutes a grave violation of Philippine sovereignty,” the group said in an official statement on Sunday, April 12. 

The DFSP forms part of a broader network of refueling hubs intended to support US military vessels and aircraft operating across the Pacific.

BAYAN said alarmingly, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has “openly welcomed” the project, and maintained the project falls under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

EDCA allows US forces, troops, planes, and ships to increase rotational presence and access to and use of Philippine military bases and facilities.

The group also cited Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who has downplayed concerns that the DFSP could make the region a potential target of attacks by US adversaries.

“As consistently raised by concerned groups for years, increased US military presence in the country heightens the risk of the Philippines being drawn into geopolitical conflicts among global powers,” BAYAN stressed.

The group noted that the country will host the largest-ever Balikatan exercises, including amphibious landings, live-fire drills, and other war simulations, which will involve over 8,000 troops from the US, Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan from April 20 to May 8, 2026.

“Such activities not only escalate regional tensions but also pose real threats to communities through potential human rights violations, environmental destruction, and the militarization of civilian spaces, all in service of advancing US strategic interests in Asia,” BAYAN said.

It stressed that these developments are part of the “broader US imperialist strategy of pivoting to Asia and containing rival powers such as China and Russia.”

“We likewise denounce the Marcos Jr. administration for its outright subservience to US imperialism,” the group said, noting that under the admin, the US-Philippines Bilateral Defense Guidelines further deepened US intervention in the country’s military and political affairs. 

The bilateral defense guidelines led to the expansion of EDCA sites and the deployment of the US Typhon missile system in Northern Luzon, and the planned DFSP in Mindanao is “yet another step in intensifying US military presence in the country.”

The group called on the local government units of Davao City, Davao del Sur, and neighboring provinces to categorically reject the DFSP project and “uphold the region’s security and sovereignty against foreign military encroachment.”

The group demanded to nullify all unequal and lopsided agreements, including the EDCA, the Visiting Forces Agreement, and the Mutual Defense Treaty.

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