As if the high heat index being experienced not only in Pangasinan but also in other countries located in and around the tropical zone is not enough, it has even become hotter for U.S. President Donald Trump who has to cool off in Florida, and for former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte who asked for ice water from a police officer who arrested him Tuesday, March 11.
They are not exactly “tyrants” in the strict meaning of the word, but there were moments in their positions as heads of states that they insisted on what they wanted, short of becoming dictators.
I choose to call them “bullies.”
Now, the news is that the world continues to denounce Trump for bullying and disrespecting Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky whom he had invited to the White House Oval Office on February 28, 2025. The two held a highly contentious bilateral meeting along with US Vice President JD Vance.
Trump accused Zelensky of being disrespectful, but it was very clear from all televised angles of coverage by the White House press that the latter was helplessly trapped in an unfamiliar battleground office, ambushed by the two highest officials of the American government.
The unlucky Ukraine commander-in-chief could not have invited himself and be disrespectful towards the people who asked for his presence. He could not have been disrespectful because he simply accepted the invitation to discuss peace for his country. And if there was anybody in the White House who longed for peace, it was Zelensky.
But it looked like his being there at the Oval Office in front of the White House press was set up to impress one exclusive audience that they can control Zelensky. That particular audience could be Russian President Vladimir Putin. He saw Trump’s failure to control Zelensky.
Whatever, control over Zelensky was not what transpired. Instead, Trump and Vance ended up criticizing a visiting head of state when they could not steer their guest’s way of thinking. They even sneered at the way he dressed, just donning a black shirt and combat boots into the White House, disregarding that he is the head of his country’s military and a soldier at the same time.
Trump and Zelensky were to discuss continued US aid for Ukraine to keep at bay the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In exchange, the two were expected to sign the Ukraine–United States Mineral Resources Agreement.
But the meeting stopped abruptly and turned into a verbal tussle with the two American government heads repeatedly criticizing the head of state that they themselves invited, with no positive results arising from the meeting.
This was the first time a U.S. president verbally attacked a visiting head of state in his own office, in front of television cameras. In reaction, around 25 heads of states and political leaders all over the world announced their continued support for Ukraine.
The leaders included European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen who told Zelensky, “Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President.”
Duterte is the first Asian president to be arrested and brought to trial in The Hague. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s Vladimir Putin were also issued warrants but have yet to be arrested.
This, as a plurality of poll respondents in the US issued favorable opinions of Zelensky, with 43% viewing him positively and 36% viewing him negatively; resulting in a lower approval rating for Trump in the days following the Oval Office meeting.
Meanwhile, last Tuesday, Filipino authorities arrested former president Rodrigo Duterte, days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) secretly issued an arrest warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity.
Duterte’s case will be closely monitored and ICC will be put to test as it holds the task of investigating accusations of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression from its base in The Hague.
Duterte is the first Asian president to be arrested and brought to trial in The Hague. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s Vladimir Putin were also issued warrants but have yet to be arrested.
Despite several explanations by law experts appearing on mainstream media and on soc-med regarding the arrest of Duterte, questions continue and would not be expected to die down in the weeks to come.
Listening to political analyst Ronald Llamas, he explained that alleged crimes against humanity committed before a state pulled out from the ICC could still be investigated and tried. The Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC in March 2019.
Prior to his arrest, it was in the news that ICC prosecutors already said in 2018 that they were going to start an investigation into Duterte’s alleged crimes in relation to his bloody crackdown on drugs that resulted in the death of thousands of innocent victims.
In 2016, we were already warned by the ICC that they were watching us because the number of extra judicial killings was rising. In September 2017, Malacanang reported that 20,000 were dead in the drug war, of which 16,000 were extra judicial killings while 4,000 were killed in police operations. That was barely one year into Duterte’s administration.
In 2018, the preliminary examination started to see if crimes against humanity were rampant in our country. After that, a preliminary investigation proceeded where the ICC issued an international warrant at the end.
This was what actually happened last week when the ICC asked the Interpol to issue a red notice which led to the arrest of Duterte. Lawyers of the former president questioned his arrest saying it was illegal and without jurisdiction because the country is no longer a court member.
But the ICC and other lawyers repeatedly explained that it had jurisdiction because the accusations dated from when the Philippines was still a signatory of the treaty.
However, the issue of jurisdiction should not set aside the reason why Duterte was arrested. The main issue, which is the root of his being in The Hague under the custody of the ICC now, is because roughly 20,000 people, including minors and people who were not involved in the drug trade, were killed by police officers and hitmen during his drug war.
An elderly woman whose son was shot and killed in the drug war was asked to comment. She said: “Luckily for Duterte, he was given due process and could still defend himself. But even with a conviction, my son could not be given back his life.”
I believe she was speaking on behalf of the 20,000.
