December ‘Arrest’ That Fizzles Out

By Alex P. Vidal 

“I’ve never been to jail. I’ve never been arrested. I’ve never been locked up.” —Samuel L. Jackson

LAWYERS Kristina Conti and Neri Colmenares owe the Filipino people—or at least those who regularly followed the political bickering in the Philippines—an explanation if not apology why 2024 is gone and former President Rodrigo Duterte wasn’t yet ordered arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Conti, who is reportedly ICC’s representative in the Philippines, and Colmenares, a former party-list representative, were among those who regularly announced on national TV and during their interviews in the social media and the political vlogs that “the ICC is coming in December (2024) and former President (Rodrigo) Duterte will be the first Asian to be arrested and tried in the international criminal court for crime against humanity.”

Filipinos who believed Conti and Colmenares think they have been taken for a ride because it is now 2025 and the hard-hitting former president, now a candidate anew for mayor in Davao City, is still freely hobnobbing with his constituents in Mindanao and is probably having the last laugh.

Those itching to see Duterte, et al shake in their boots while watching and listening to members of the arresting team read their Miranda rights were as excited and as certain the ICC’s arrival was a sure event in December 2024.

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The ICC might still come based on all the bold predications and loud pronouncement made these past months by advocates of human rights and those pushing for Duterte, et al’s incarceration for their brutal roles in the much-abhorred extrajudicial killings of drug suspects during the past administration.

In fact, no one can tell if they are already in the Philippines and are only waiting for the right time and right moment.

The ICC is probably bidding for time since it is aware those involved in the high-level criminal case aren’t peanuts; Mr. Duterte remains to be a popular figure in the Philippines with millions of followers even if he is no longer in power.

Many of them can derail the “impending” arrest in a form of a mini “people power” or a mob that will stymie the arrest in one way or the other if it becomes highly publicized and the ICC will telegraph its punches.

All indications nonetheless have pointed to the “imminent” arrest of the ex-president and his former subalterns led by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and the retired police generals.

But, at least, the likes of Conti and Colmenares should not have prejudged the itinerary or schedule of Duterte, et al’s date with infamy when they will be finally “escorted” out of the country by the International Police or Interpol.

Mag hintay at huwag kasi masayadong madadal and excited!

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INJURIES FROM FALLING TVs are on the rise among children age nine and under–sometimes because TVs are pulled or pushed by children or tipped over when a child is climbing. THEORY: In recent years, heavier and larger, tip-prone TVs have increased in popularity. SELF DEFENSE: Strap a TV to a table stand or mount it to a wall.

GARDENERS ARE AT RISK FOR TETANUS. The bacteria that causes tetanus, also called lockjaw, is commonly found in dirt and on tools. Gardeners account for more than 1/3 of the tetanus cases reported in the U.S. each year. SELF-DEFENSE: Get a booster shot every 10 years. Tetanus is rare, but it can be fatal.

LET’S BAG THE BAGS. Plastic bags start as petrochemicals, which are transformed into polymers and are, in turn, heated, shaped, cooled, flattened, sealed, punched, and printed on, all of which require energy. But still only .6 percent of plastic bags are recycled, with the USA alone throwing away 100 billion bags a year. Make a difference by recycling.

Also, let’s be a paper doll by always recycling paper. Each time paper is recycled, the individual cellulose fibers become shorter. On average, a fiber can be recycled seven times before it is too short to combine with other fibers.

(PG 13) SEXUAL-HEALTH CHECKLIST. 1. Lift weight 3x a week. Not only will we gain muscle, but sexual satisfaction will follow as well. 2. Open our mind. Increasingly, women are doing just that in their sex practices. Don’t let her leave us behind. 3. Presence, transcendence, and authenticity trump lust in the good-sex game. 4. Expand our social networks. 5. Emotional connection-even with casual partners-means better sex.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)