Marcos Eyes ‘Rehabilitation’

A number of recent events have created clouds of political uncertainty over the Philippines, especially after the Southeast Asian archipelago’s immediate past President, Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested and handed over to the Hague-headquartered International Criminal Court. Duterte faces charges of “crimes against humanity” committed during his six-year presidency from 2016 to 2022. Duterte’s initial reaction was, “There’s nothing I can do about it. If I’m arrested, if I’m jailed, so be it.” Government records maintain that more than 7,000 people were killed in anti-drug operations over six years. But, human rights advocates put the figure at more than 30,000. China described the Duterte arrest as a “political hit job".