After collaborating within the memorial rally for the extrajudicial victims of the Duterte drug conflict exterior the Peace Palace in The Hague on September 23, buddies recommended we go see the Worldwide Felony Court docket. From the ICC, the detention unit at Scheveningen was just a few strolling distance.
Exterior the ICC, lawyer Gilbert Andres, one in all solely six Filipino attorneys accredited by the ICC, was giving an interview to Filipino media. Andres is with the Heart for Worldwide Legislation Philippines (CenterLaw), a nongovernment group devoted to human rights and the rule of regulation. CenterLaw is lawyering for the EJK [extrajudicial killings] victims earlier than the ICC, along with Joel Ruiz Butuyan, who was additionally on the town however was not within the neighborhood at that specific time.
From the ICC, it takes a stroll of some 20 minutes to achieve the ICC Detention Heart the place prisoner Rodrigo Duterte has been held since March of this yr. One is just a vacationer gazer of the jail’s enormous gates. Entry is forbidden, in fact. However one sees on the far proper nook a patch of inexperienced open area. Our two Filipino buddies from The Hague identified that this was “Duterte Park.”
Duterte Park turned out to be a catastrophe, a humiliating blight on Filipinos. It was right here that Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS) would rally virtually each day instantly after prisoner Duterte arrived on the town.
The noise degree, and later the rubbish, turned insupportable to the residents across the jail, a predominantly residential zone. And since they didn’t plan their logistics for a washroom, DDS rallyists would knock on doorways of residents to make use of their powder rooms. Naturally, Dutch police stepped in and barred them from utilizing the open area. That was the top of the short-lived Duterte Park mess.
Dutch police banished the DDS to a facet road perpendicular to the jail’s road and supplied them with a cordoned-off small piece of open area away from the residential zone. This was enclosed in steel limitations — an apparent caveat that they’ll keep and do their performative antics solely throughout the cordon. A portalet was supplied. DDS have named this place “Duterte Avenue,” but it surely serves as an understatement of their troublesome presence on this a part of city.
We headed to see Duterte Avenue. We stored a ways and from our vantage level we may see a small group of about 20 Filipinos contained in the cordon. One determine amongst them was unmistakable — it was the fugitive from regulation Harry Roque. He appeared skinny and gaunt. His mien was not a contented one.
A Filipino good friend from London who was with us and who was overlaying for a Europe-based Filipino media collective tried to attract close to and method Roque. He launched himself to Roque and requested just a few interview questions.
Roque was haughty to the request. “Why would you wish to interview us?” he requested. My good friend responded: “We wish to get your facet. We simply got here from overlaying the anti-Duterte rally,” he informed Roque who turned defensive much more.
He informed my good friend: “Why did you cowl them first forward of us? No, I don’t see the purpose why we might grant you an interview.” And that was the top of the try and cowl hostile Harry.
He tried, nonetheless, to supply an olive department. “However you can have lunch with us.” We may see lechon on the makeshift desk. As I had remained exterior the cordon, I couldn’t make certain if there was humbâ. We didn’t settle for the invitation, not as a result of we simply had lunch, however as a result of they could use this in opposition to us.
The remainder of our group stayed a ways away from the cordon. After which one thing fascinating ensued. We may see a small group of Filipinos strolling away from the jail space in direction of Duterte Avenue. Lo and behold, it was the aggrieved Duterte ex-wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman. She was along with her granddaughter Isabelle, daughter of Paolo along with his first spouse. We bear in mind Isabelle as a debutante in a Malacañang Palace photoshoot utilizing the presidential brand as her backdrop.
A small media crew of 4 and a videographer, who was main the best way to cowl each step of Madam Zimmerman, accompanied them. They have been the identical group that earlier interviewed lawyer Gilbert Andres.
We knew who this media crew was. A former ABS CBN European correspondent led it. We instantly noticed the distinction — this group by no means coated the “Duterte Panagutin, Marcos Singilin” rally the place we had simply come from.
It raises a query of curiosity — why do some Filipino media teams, a part of the so-called “mainstream,” cowl solely the DDS? They have been drawing a line within the sand — they interviewed the Dutertes however didn’t cowl the anti-EJK rally. You can’t cross a line with out consequence, on this case exposing their partisanship and their lack of objectivity.
My London good friend snubbed by Roque determined to enter the cordon and take heed to the interview of Madam Zimmerman and Isabelle. It was good that he did. Each made statements that run counter to Nicholas Kaufman’s argument for the postponement of the affirmation costs. Zimmerman: “He’s alive and effectively.” Isabelle: “He’s match and effectively.” The narrative of lies was confirmed.
We determined then to name it a day and bade goodbye to the remainder of our companions who had come from Germany and different elements of Europe. On the bus cease, a younger Filipina arrived. One in all us began a dialog along with her. She stated she lives close by and that she works contained in the ICC Detention Unit. She stated she was aware about prisoner Duterte’s cell and will see him each day. Was she boasting when she stated this?
She stated they have been forbidden to smuggle info out. However she stated one thing astonishing. “Walang kaso si Duterte, makakalabas din ’yan.” (Duterte has no case, he’ll ultimately be launched). That acquired my goat. I blurted: “You’re a employee contained in the jail and also you consider that Duterte is harmless? The ICC ought to oust you on your bias.”
The younger woman reasoned out one thing about not being biased, however polemics had no place on this bus cease. After which she left to take her bus.
We then determined to move off to see the Duterte rally simply exterior the Den Haag Centraal, town’s practice station. There we noticed a stage full with sound system. The gang will need to have numbered lower than 100, about 60-80.
On the pathway resulting in the positioning, they’d put in an out of doors photograph exhibition of Duterte by means of the years, laced along with his quotations. The panels have been mounted on steel and might stand up to the pure parts. This will need to have value fairly a penny.
One panel was a photograph of Duterte fist bumping with a daring caption: “I’m not a person of many phrases however I get issues accomplished.”
The rally’s primary visitor was the actress Giselle Sanchez. We didn’t catch her speech, however I later noticed an interview clip of her pleading to Harry Roque to reconcile with the group. So the explanation why Roque was at Duterte Avenue as an alternative of on the rally was due to DDS infighting. The remainder of the personalities we noticed there have been DDS vloggers of ubiquitous affiliation with DDS occasions.
The worth to pay in being intruders in a Duterte rally was being scrutinized with suspicion. At first we weren’t conscious that they have been observing us, till vlogger Tio Moreno approached us and stated, “Can we give you water?” So that they knew we have been outsiders. I quickly realized why.
Every one was sporting a ribbon on their lapels. Inexperienced sweaters and inexperienced caps emblazoned with “Deliver him house” have been the uniform clothes. The ribbons have been the signal in order that no intruders entered the rally. We have been the odd males out.
Quickly, a gaggle of ladies tried to shut ranks in opposition to us, heckling us as an “agent” of a well known Duterte critic within the Philippines. Maybe they needed me to take the bait. I stored my serenity for, in actuality, I used to be serene inside. There was no have to battle tooth and nail as a result of on this battle, all isn’t truthful in love and conflict. I used to be not competing with them utilizing the foul implies that was the one factor they knew.
After which the rally ended when the stage emcee introduced there could be budots dancing. This, and the discourses of “carry him house,” “kidnapping,” “the most effective president of the Philippines,” “BBM corrupt,” have been their solely methodology of rallying the troops. No science, no proof, no political evaluation, no sober mental alternate.
No marvel many see the DDS as a bunch of idiots as a result of sure, they have been being idiotized right into a state of deadness. Filipinos can definitely do higher than that. Not on this DDS rally. – Rappler.com
Antonio J. Montalván II is a social anthropologist who advocates that retaining quiet when issues go incorrect is the mentality of a slave, not a very good citizen.
