Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, March 13, 2025.
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READ: 'Dela Rosa, Albayalde next on ICC arrest list'
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) may soon set its sights on Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa and retired police chief Oscar Albayalde, following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was flown to The Hague Tuesday to stand trial for crimes against humanity during the bloody war on drugs. ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti said Dela Rosa and Albayalde are being closely examined for their involvement in the anti-narcotics campaign from 2016 to 2022 that resulted in the death of thousands of drug suspects without the benefit of a trial. The Palace on Wednesday said local law enforcement agencies would likely cooperate if the ICC, through Interpol, seeks to enforce other arrest warrants.
READ: Duterte siblings fly to join dad
A DAY after former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and flown into the Netherlands to face trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC), both Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte booked separate flights to Amsterdam to be with their father. Sara flew first in the morning, taking an Emirates flight bound for Dubai with a connecting flight to Amsterdam, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said. The OVP also said that due to the developments surrounding her father, she will no longer participate in the Araw ng Dabaw Festivities slated for March 16 and 17. Her brother, Paolo, later took a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong also en route to Amsterdam. The eldest of the Duterte siblings earlier secured a travel clearance from the House of Representatives to travel to the Netherlands and Japan from March 12 to April 15 for a "personal trip." He said that the expenditures for his trip will come from his personal funds. House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco granted Duterte's travel clearance on March 12.
READ: Speedy arrest was necessary, court says
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday emphasized the need for the immediate arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, citing his refusal to cooperate with the tribunal and his enduring influence over key Philippine institutions that could obstruct justice and intimidate witnesses. Based on the warrant it issued against Duterte, the ICC said it ordered the arrest of the former Philippine president due to his blatant defiance of international accountability, a stance he has maintained throughout his political career. The tribunal said one of the most striking manifestations of this defiance occurred in 2019 when he orchestrated the Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. The move was widely viewed as a calculated attempt to shield himself from prosecution for his controversial and bloody war on drugs, which has resulted in thousands of killings. The ICC further noted that Duterte has consistently dismissed the ICC's authority, branding its investigations as "foreign interference" and openly ridiculing the tribunal in public statements.
READ: Tribunal a court of last resort for worst crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) where detained former president Rodrigo Duterte is being taken after his arrest in the Philippines is a court of last resort for the most serious international offenses, such as genocide and crimes against humanity. The 79-year-old former president has become the first former Asian leader to be arrested by the global court. Duterte was expected to arrive on Wednesday in the Netherlands after his arrest the previous morning on an ICC warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drug crackdowns he oversaw while in office. The ICC handles allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression, and takes on cases when nations are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes on their territory.
BUSINESS: Political unrest could rattle financial markets
PHILIPPINE financial markets could face some volatility from the fallout of former president Rodrigo Duterte having been arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, a former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) official said on Wednesday. Speaking to the reporters at the sidelines of a Management Association of the Philippines economic briefing, GlobalSource Partners analyst and former BSP deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo said the short-term market reaction would be negative, but the country's long-term economic prospects could improve given the view that the rule of law had strengthened. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi), which plunged by 2.42 percent on Tuesday amid worries over a possible US recession and as Duterte was taken into custody, slipped by 0.18 percent. The peso, meanwhile, weakened by 13-and-a-half centavos to 57 pesos and 36 centavos to the dollar.
SPORTS: Van der Valk takes lead at Eagle Ridge
GUIDO van der Valk lived through a grueling backside battle that tested every contender's mental toughness but emerged with his lead intact, holding a one-stroke edge despite carding a 75 in the third round of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship in Cavite on Wednesday. On a wind-swept and unpredictable Faldo course, four bogeys in a birdie-less finish could have toppled the Dutchman from the top. However, with rivals also struggling against the stern conditions and relentless heat, van der Valk remained ahead in the 2-million-peso championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today's front page columnists, with their thoughts on the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Today's editorial thinks the United Nations is facing a financial crisis, citing that the Philippines is among the countries that are delinquent in paying their dues to the world body. Read more on the paper's opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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