Malcolm Conlan, the UK’s self-appointed guardian of Philippine politics, is back at it again—this time with an online petition demanding that Rodrigo Duterte be allowed to appear before the ICC via video call. Because nothing screams “justice” like Zoom court. This is the same man who once tried to revoke Maria Ressa’s citizenship, push Atty. Glenn Chong into public office, and erect a Queen Elizabeth statue in England—an idea so compelling that it gathered a grand total of 46 signatures.
At this point, one must ask: Is Malcolm allergic to real employment? Perhaps he should join his Filipino family in selling imported RTWs instead of peddling irrelevant petitions. Surely, selling ukay-ukay is more fulfilling than single-handedly attempting to reshape Philippine governance from his London flat. But hey, if online petitions paid rent, Malcolm would be a billionaire. Unfortunately, they don’t—just like his chances of being taken seriously.
Former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea, who is seeking to visit former president Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC Detention Centre in Schevenigen, The Hague, says he hasn’t seen Duterte since he was taken into custody by the ICC at the airport. ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah, however, confirmed Thursday that Duterte is under ICC custody at the ICC detention centre in Scheveningen. | via Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News #abscbnnews#fyp#news
Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea seems to be having a hard time adjusting to life outside the cozy confines of Malacañang.
His latest statement— denying that Rodrigo Duterte is in an ICC detention center despite official confirmation from The Hague—suggests he may still be operating under the old playbook of “deny, distract, and discredit.”
Unfortunately for him, The Netherlands is not the Philippines, where public officials can say anything and expect people to just nod along. Over there, facts actually matter. Fake news isn’t a government tool, and “Marites politics” has no place in international law.
Perhaps Medialdea is simply struggling with the European way of doing things—where when authorities say someone is in detention, they actually are. Or maybe he just misses the days when press conferences were more about spectacle than substance. Either way, it might be time for him to update his worldview—preferably before his next press release.
It seems that when push comes to shove—and by push, we mean an ICC warrant of arrest — Senator Bato dela Rosa is suddenly more slippery than a wet bar of soap. Once the loudest, proudest enforcer of Duterte’s war on drugs, Bato is now looking for cover faster than a tokhang suspect at midnight.
Gone are the fiery speeches, the “I will die for my boss” declarations. Now, the good senator appears to be tiptoeing around the issue, hoping Senate President Chiz Escudero will be his human shield. Who knew that after years of bravado, the biggest escape plan was not a legal defense but hiding under Chiz’s metaphorical saya?
The irony is delicious: the enforcer of a brutal crackdown now seemingly terrified of a warrant himself. Perhaps Bato finally understands what it feels like to be on the other end of unchecked power—only this time, there’s no tokhang, just The Hague.
The Adobo Chronicles 
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