Duterte could face 30-year jail sentence even if convicted for only 1 of 43 murder cases–House leader
An administration lawmaker asserted that former President Rodrigo Duterte could spend the rest of his life behind bars in The Hague with just one conviction in 43 cases, likely earning him a 30-year jail time.
Deputy Majority Leader Francisco Paolo Ortega claimed that while Duterte was assured a fair trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC), his situation should be a cautionary tale for world leaders inclined to hubris and abuse of power.
The La Union congressman pointed out that an ICC trial for mass murder took an average of five to six years, saying, “(Duterte) is facing 43 counts of murder in the crimes against humanity case. One conviction alone for each count (or killing) is more than enough to put him away.”
Even then, he noted: “At least in ICC, we are assured of a very fair trial where nobody – both in the camp of Duterte or even the Philippine government – can exert any form of influence for the judges to rule in their favor. For one, judges were neither appointed by Duterte nor President Marcos.”
Ortega cited ICC rules, which provide that a conviction for one murder alone can earn an accused imprisonment of 30 years to life. The ICC tries mostly crimes against humanity and genocide.
“So, even if you credit and apply, say the last five years of trial, then it would still be a net of 25 years. He will be 105 years old by then. And that is for one murder case alone,” he said.
Power is not forever
The lawmaker further pointed out that ICC rules require defendants to always be present, regardless of how long the process took, saying, “Unlike in our case, where bail can sometimes be granted, there is no trial in absentia in ICC. (Duterte) has to be there for the whole duration of the trial, just like everybody else.”
According to Ortega, Duterte’s situation should serve as a lesson to world leaders. “We have to bear in mind that power is only temporary. Therefore, we should not abuse power because power is not forever. World leaders should avoid hubris but should rather practice humility. Presidents come and go, and even dictators fade away too,” he said.
“As public officials, we have to use our power in the right way and we should always be fair,” he added.
For Assistant Majority Leader Jefferson Khonghun, the ICC trial could finally expose the war on drugs as an alleged multi-billion peso racket for people in power during the Duterte administration.
The Zambales lawmaker, who is a senior member of the House of Representatives quad committee, maintained that investigations have indicated that Duterte’s drug war resulted in an increase in drug prices, consolidated control over the narcotics trade, andf funneled profits into illegal businesses such as offshore gaming in the Philippines.
Khonghun alleged that the war on drugs was a “grand scam” because it was not only bloody but also a billion-peso business that eradicated small pushers. At the same time, drug syndicates were left alone to grow and set prices for illegal drugs.
He cited the House quad comm’s initial conclusion that Duterte’s drug war served as a cover for an alleged “grand criminal enterprise” involving high-ranking government officials, systemic corruption, and international drug trafficking networks.
The House quad comm is composed of the committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights, and public accounts. It was formed to investigate the link between offshore gaming operations and extrajudicial killings during the war on drugs, the illegal narcotics trade, and other syndicated crimes.
Khonghun said that the ICC trial could provide an opportunity to examine how the drug war wasn’t just about killings but allegedly about a vast, state-enabled financial network that profited from both the drug trade and money laundering through the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
