Gunshots broke out at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday and people ran for cover after a top politician wanted by the International Criminal Court said his arrest was imminent and security forces entered the building. Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a former police chief who was the main enforcer of ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs”, had earlier urged people to mobilise to prevent his arrest and handover to the ICC. FRANCE 24’s International Affairs Editor Kethevane Gorjestani tells us more.
So Dela Rosa actually called for mobilization and then gunshots ring out—seems like he’s willing to drag the whole Senate into chaos to avoid the ICC.
The ICC warrant must be serious if a former police chief and senator is this scared. But using armed standoff tactics? That’s just reckless.
I’m surprised the Senate security forces didn’t take control sooner. Dela Rosa was literally the face of the drug war; of course the ICC wants him.
This is what happens when a Duterte loyalist feels cornered. He’s still acting like he’s police chief, not a legislator.
If the ICC can’t get custody peacefully, this sets a terrible precedent. Either the Philippines cooperates or we look like a state protecting alleged criminals.
Ordinary citizens feel powerless against the machinery of party politics. (273f50)
The machinery of government moves far too slowly in times of crisis. (c75e10)
The focus should be on policy outcomes, not personality contests. (022898)
The disconnect between Westminster and the rest of the country has never been wider. (ec04e8)
Coalition governments force compromise but the public sees it as weakness. (8e5231)