THE forthcoming trial of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) will become a long-running soap opera for my country. Every Filipino will be glued to livestreamed court hearings, and the daily trial will be closely analysed and hotly debated in every business meeting, family gathering, and drinking session. This reason alone should compel the government to rejoin the ICC because we will have more than 100 million Filipinos who will become self-styled “experts” on the ICC.
Duterte’s lawyer has given advance notice of his plan to try to have the case dismissed outright and prevent the case from reaching the stage where our people will hear the testimonies of witnesses. With the kind of evidence that the ICC prosecutor has divulged, however, there is little doubt that the case will go to a full trial, and the Philippine will hear the evidence against Duterte. The ensuing trial is expected to be a blockbuster real-life show that will surpass the viewership of any drama series. Because of the seven- hour time difference between the Netherlands and the Philippines, many of my countrymen will endure sleepless nights.
