Duterte and his supporters spent years demonizing the Aquino administration, painting it as weak and incompetent. But in the end, it was Aquino’s single move that sealed Duterte’s fate.
According to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Duterte is still within its jurisdiction because the alleged crimes he committed fall within the period from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019—and guess what? It was Aquino’s administration that enrolled the Philippines in the ICC in November 2011, with the valuable assistance of none other than Duterte’s own spokesperson and former human rights advocate, Harry Roque. Yes, the same Harry Roque who once proudly championed the ICC, praising its role in fighting impunity, only to later become Duterte’s loudest defender against it. The irony just keeps getting better.
Meanwhile, Duterte, in his blind arrogance, pulled the country out of the ICC in March 2018, thinking it would shield him from prosecution. The problem? The withdrawal only took effect in March 2019, meaning everything he did up to that point is still under ICC jurisdiction. He thought he was being clever—instead, he walked straight into a trap Aquino set years before.
Duterte spent years attacking and smearing Aquino, convincing the public that his predecessor was weak, incapable, and a failure. But after all the propaganda, insults, and political maneuvering, a single signature from Aquino was enough to ensure Duterte’s downfall. And Aquino? He didn’t need to fight back—he simply let Duterte’s own arrogance do the job for him.
And when the time comes for Duterte to be arrested? The poetic justice couldn’t be any sweeter. The last place he’ll see before boarding his flight to The Hague? Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The very airport named after the man he and his allies insulted for years. Every sign, every announcement, and every check-in counter will remind him of the family he so desperately wanted to erase from history. There’s no escaping it.
Had Duterte not been so paranoid and desperate to dodge accountability, he could have faced trial in the Philippines. But now? His only chance at getting jailed is in The Hague or any ICC member country. He thought leaving the ICC would protect him—instead, it ensured he had nowhere to hide.
And speaking of dodging accountability, let’s not forget one glaring contrast: Aquino was always transparent about his wealth. He even signed a waiver to his bank accounts, proving he had nothing to hide. Meanwhile, Duterte? He refused to let the public know how much money he actually had.
A so-called “simple mayor” who lived modestly? Then why the secrecy? The contrast between Aquino and Duterte couldn’t be clearer—one was accountable, the other evasive.
And in another bizarre turn of events—two Filipinos were just arrested in Hong Kong for attempting to withdraw $10 billion from HSBC using fake documents. Yes, you read that right. $10 billion. The bank immediately flagged the transaction after noticing forged documents, leading to the arrest of the two suspects—one, an elderly man suffering from dementia, and the other, a woman claiming to be a lawyer.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. $10 billion is roughly 573 billion pesos. To put that in perspective, some of the richest and most powerful men in the Philippines don’t even come close to that kind of money.
According to Forbes, here are the net worths of some of the country’s top business tycoons:
Ramon Ang, CEO of San Miguel Corporation, is worth $3.8 billion
Tony Tan Caktiong, the owner of Jollibee, is worth $2.9 billion
Jaime Zobel de Ayala, a titan of Philippine business, has an estimated net worth of $2.6 billion.
So, who is this mysterious Filipino billionaire who somehow has more money than these actual tycoons?
Perhaps the bigger question is: Was the old man with dementia the mastermind, or was he just the fall guy for something much bigger? Because if someone is out there pretending to be richer than the biggest business moguls in the country, we have to wonder—who are they covering for?
And here’s the cherry on top—Duterte’s supporters (DDS) are now desperately trying to report Bongbong Marcos (BBM) to the ICC. The problem? They can’t. Duterte made sure the Philippines is no longer an ICC member. Now, they have to sit back and accept that they played themselves.
Oh, and speaking of disappearing acts, where is Harry Roque now? Nowhere to be found. The same self-proclaimed human rights defender who once proudly stood for justice is now missing in action as his former boss faces international prosecution. It turns out, even Duterte’s most loyal mouthpieces know when to abandon a sinking ship.
Yes, it is great to defend someone you believe made you feel safe. The more people were killed, even the innocents, the safer you felt. The higher the death toll, the higher the leader’s trust rating, the more popular he became. Perhaps it was all part of a grand deception, targeting the gullible.
Maybe it was all just a coincidence. Or maybe it was one of the greatest tricks ever played on an entire nation.
The Aquinos—one stood unshaken in the face of a dictator, sacrificing his life so that a nation could break free from the chains of tyranny and reclaim its democracy. The other, though silent and unassuming, carried the weight of his family’s sacrifice and the hopes of a free people on his shoulders. He watched as the country teetered once more on the edge of despotism and knew he could not stand idly by.
So he acted—not for power, not for recognition, but because some battles must be fought, not for oneself, but for the generations yet to come. Because true heroes are not those who seek the spotlight, but those who quietly stand firm in the storm, determined to ensure that no Filipino will ever again have to live under the shadow of a tyrant.
I might be wrong, but history has a way of unraveling the truth behind the world’s most infamous dictators—no matter how invincible they once seemed.
The real solution to the drug problem doesn’t lie in brute force or bloodshed but in comprehensive reforms, rehabilitation programs, a stronger justice system, and tackling the root causes of drug abuse—poverty, lack of education, and weak law enforcement. The war on drugs is not just a Philippine issue; it is a global challenge—one that countless nations have tried and failed to conquer.
So how do we truly win the war on drugs?
That is the $10 billion question.
