‘Bring Him Home’ Ineffective

By Herbert Vego

FORMER President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte must have realized the futility of the “bring him home” demand by his supporters in well-funded rallies here and abroad.

This became very evident when his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, said, “Hindi na siya maibabalik. Hindi na mababalik si Pangulong Duterte sa Pilipinas.”

She said so before a crowd of rallying Filipinos in the vicinity of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, where he is detained, pending trial for crimes against humanity.

Digong had asked Sara to relay this message to their supporters: “Let us leave the matter to the lawyers and to the court which will decide on the case,”

Digong must have realized that “Bring him home” would not change the minds of the ICC judges, who do not judge in accordance with “popularity” but with the weight of evidence seeking to prove his role in extra-judicial killings (EJKs).

But by playing “meek” – who knows? – he could be granted “interim release” outside of jail within a restricted space at The Hague, never here in the Philippines. The term refers to “house arrest” while awaiting trial to start on September 23.

The long wait would give Duterte and his lawyers time to prepare evidence for his defense, considering that the ICC has already gathered numerous complainants ready to testify against him.

Digong has no choice but rely on his ICC-accredited trial lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, a British-Israeli barrister with extensive experience in international law.

Kaufman earned fame for defending Charles Blé Goudé, an Ivory Coast politician charged with crimes against humanity. The ICC acquitted Goudé.

Kaufman lawyered for Maxime Mokom, former minister of disarmament in the Central African Republic, charged with crimes against humanity, but acquitted due to unavailability of witnesses.

However, Duterte knows in his heart that there are more than sufficient witnesses against him.

May God forgive him for calling Him “stupid”.

-oOo-

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR MORE POWER’S PRESIDENT

HE celebrated his not-yet-a-senior birthday yesterday with a prayer for more power to accomplish his mission for the people of Iloilo City. Belated happy birthday to our good friend, Sir Roel Zabala Castro.

I bet every Ilonggo with an electrical connection knows this humble president and chief executive officer of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), the sole distribution utility for Iloilo City.

He got a very advanced birthday gift from Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, who declared him “adopted son of Iloilo City” through Executive Order No. 162, signed on December 12, 2024, citing Castro’s role in modernizing the city’s power distribution infrastructure.

Castro’s efforts have significantly enhanced the reliability and efficiency of electricity services, bolstering economic growth and improving the quality of life for residents and businesses, stressed Treñas.

Sir Roel is probably the busiest chief executive in the energy sector.  He is also president/CEO of Negros Power, Bohol Light, Primelectric, PrimeRes and MP Barge.

Outside the energy sector, he is president of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, chairman of the UP Alumni Association and director of various organizations.

To MORE Power spokesman Jonathan Cabrera, he also gets up close and personal, as in asking him, “Kumusta ka na?” whenever Jon gets sick.

To add to that, I had the surprise of my life when he gifted me with a hand-crafted “trophy” showing the number “75” on my 75^th birthday.

I would get the same gift with five added numbers every five years thereafter, he joked seriously. I should look forward to that for a longer life.

-oOo-

ANTIQUEÑO JUSTICE DENIES MAYOR’S REQUEST FOR TRO

KUDOS to our fellow Antiqueño, newly-minted Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Emilio Rodolfo Legaspi III, for penning the decision denying Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes’ request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on his suspension.

The Office of the Ombudsman had suspended Cortes for one year without pay over the appointment of an ineligible employee, Camilo Basaca, as social welfare officer.

In a decision dated February 28, 2025, Justice Legaspi found “no basis for the issuance of a TRO or (writ of preliminary injunction) in favor of petitioner.”

Legaspi said that a right to be protected by an injunction means a right enforceable as a matter of law. In this case, no such right exists.

If the CA issues an injunction on Cortes’ suspension, it would be “an encroachment on the Ombudsman as a rule-making power.”

Cortes designated Basaca as the officer in charge of the City Social Welfare and Services Office (CSWSO) in July 2022.

Cortes filed a motion for reconsideration on August 30, 2024, but this was denied by the Ombudsman, prompting the former to elevate the matter to the CA.