“They won’t get me alive for trial outside the Philippines.” That, said allies, is ex-president Rody Duterte’s stance on “impending arrest” by the International Criminal Court.
The ICC has investigated crimes against humanity in Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, complainant ex-senator Antonio Trillanes revealed. Indictment at The Hague is next.
President Bongbong Marcos Jr. has directed appointees to ignore the ICC. But in disbelief, Duterte spokesman Harry Roque enumerated “telltale signs” that the admin will turn over his boss:
Justice Sec. Crispin Remulla supposedly cooperated with ICC probers. Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner has disbanded the 500-strong Davao Task Force in Duterte’s bailiwick city. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año vowed to use state force against Duterte’s call for Mindanao secession.
Weeks earlier authorities shut down the TV station where Duterte cusses the Marcos Jr. admin. That limited his public projections. Roque told Duterte supporters to make a stand if and when the ICC nabs their hero.
Daughter VP Sara Duterte too is under pressure. Turning ICC witness, confessed Davao Death Squad head Arturo Lascañas linked her to enforced disappearances of drug suspects. DDS henchman Edgar Matobato attested that ex-mayor Sara put them in city hall’s payroll.
Ex-cop Lascañas’ initial ICC deposition detailed Sara’s issuances of hit lists. Last week he said he supplemented that with Sara’s order to summarily execute instead of arresting pushers. Senator Ronald dela Rosa, as then-Davao City police chief, implemented Sara’s order, Lascañas swore.
Calling Lascañas’ resurfacing politically motivated, Sara said: “[Foes] have a new script.”
Doors are being slammed on VP Sara’s 2028 presidential plan. Congress deleted her P650-million confidential-intelligence funds for 2024 as VP and education chief, lest she use it for preparations. Yet it had granted her that same amount in 2023, when she was still cozy with the ruling party. Malacañang gave her an unprogrammed P221 million for 2022’s second half.
Last October, Commission on Audit reports on Sara’s confidential funds as Davao City mayor were released to the press. It started with P144 million in 2016, P294 million in 2017 and P420 million in 2018. Then, P460 million a year from 2019 to 2022.
Former finance undersecretary and UP economics professor Cielo Magno reviewed the amounts. Her conclusion: Sara’s confidential funds dwarfed those for basic services like education, nutrition, health, labor and employment, housing and community development, social services and welfare or culture and sports.
Congress raked up COA’s 2012 findings: Mayor Sara had paid P678 million to 11,000 contractual workers without requisite accomplishment reports. Ghost employees, critics howled. Lascañas said he got P68,000 a month at that time by collecting in behalf of ten to 12 false identities.
Rody’s son Rep. Paolo Duterte is also taking a drubbing. He had accused majority colleagues of rushing a people’s initiative to shift from presidential to unitary parliamentary form. A one-chamber parliament would foil papa Rody’s plan to become senator in 2025. As well, sister Sara’s 2028 presidential run.
The House of Reps released a comparative table of Paolo’s huge Davao City 1st district allotments. Figures indicated power and influence in his first term, 2020-2022.
Malacañang’s National Expenditure Programs (NEP) for the three years totaled P24.345 billion for Paolo’s district. The General Appropriations Acts (GAA) that Congress approved and Rody Duterte signed for those years gave Paolo more than double, P51.83 billion (see table).
“Unprecedented, sobra-sobra,” noted House appropriations committee chairman Rep. Elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol party) in a TV interview. “Average allocation per district is P500 million to P4 billion, depending on size.”
Rep. Paolo made no comment. (This column’s requests for his side were unanswered till press time.)
“New congressmen complained that it was unfair,” Co added. “So under the Marcos Jr. admin we told the Dept. of Public Works and Highways to equalize project budgets.”
The House publicized the figures right when heavy rains were deluging the Davao region. Duterte critics said P51.8 billion could’ve built anti-flood sewers, roads and bridges in the district.
During the questioned three years, the appropriations committee head was neophyte Rep. Eric Yap, Paolo’s close friend. First-termer Paolo headed the equally powerful committee on accounts.
In 2017-2019 the appropriations head was Rep. Carlo Nograles, also of Davao City’s 1st district. He got P15.2 billion.
* * *
Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m., dwIZ (882-AM).
Follow me on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/Jarius-Bondoc