The function of power, historically, has been to sustain itself—whether by overt force, coercion, or the subtle manipulation of public consciousness. In the case of the Philippine government under Bongbong Marcos Jr., we are witnessing an insidious erosion of national sovereignty under the guise of legal cooperation. This is not merely a technical matter of international law. It is an explicit declaration that the Filipino people, and their rights, are secondary to the demands of external forces.
Marcos Jr.'s administration has openly accepted that international courts have jurisdiction over Filipino citizens. This is not simply a capitulation to the International Criminal Court (ICC); it is the admission that any Filipino, at any time, can be subjected to the authority of foreign tribunals without the protections ostensibly afforded by Philippine law. The implications of such a position are profound, and history provides ample warning for what follows when a nation willingly surrenders its ability to govern itself.
The Illusion of Sovereignty
National sovereignty has long been a fragile construct, often invoked by the powerful to justify their actions while being disregarded when inconvenient. Marcos Jr. is now weaponizing this concept selectively: rejecting the ICC’s jurisdiction when it pertains to the crimes of his allies, while conceding to it when politically expedient. This duplicity serves only one purpose—to consolidate power while deflecting accountability.
Consider the rhetoric surrounding the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos Jr.'s administration has framed their stance as an adherence to international law, suggesting that their willingness to allow a foreign court to try a former head of state is a principled legal decision. But the reality is simpler: this is a strategic maneuver to eliminate political opposition while simultaneously signaling obedience to international actors who may, in turn, offer economic and political benefits to his regime.
A Dangerous Precedent
Allowing a foreign court to assert jurisdiction over Filipino citizens establishes a dangerous precedent. If the government is willing to hand over Duterte today, what prevents it from surrendering a journalist, a dissident, or an ordinary citizen tomorrow? The historical record shows that legal precedents, once set, rarely remain confined to their original scope. The Marcos Jr. administration has now made it clear that it is willing to sacrifice any citizen should geopolitical necessity dictate it.
It is worth examining why the administration is embracing such a position. At a fundamental level, Marcos Jr.'s government operates not as a sovereign entity but as an intermediary between domestic elite interests and foreign political and economic structures. The true beneficiaries of this legal surrender are not the Filipino people, but rather those who seek to maintain control over them—whether from within the country or beyond its borders.
The Manufactured Consent of Silence
A compliant media apparatus and a disoriented public have enabled this transition to unfold with minimal resistance. By directing national discourse toward trivialities, and by leveraging legislative and executive power to silence critics, the Marcos Jr. government ensures that this blatant abdication of sovereignty remains outside the sphere of public outrage. The goal is not just the erosion of national self-determination, but the suppression of even the awareness that such an erosion is taking place.
What Must Be Done
To resist this trajectory, Filipinos must first recognize the gravity of the situation. This is not about the personal fate of Rodrigo Duterte; it is about whether the nation is willing to accept a future in which its citizens can be handed over to foreign powers at the whims of a ruling elite.
The defense of sovereignty is not a defense of impunity. It is a defense of the principle that justice, if it is to mean anything at all, must be rooted in democratic accountability to the people, not dictated by external actors who answer to no one. If Filipinos do not resist this precedent now, they may find that, in time, their own fates will be decided in courtrooms far beyond their reach, with their own government acting as the willing executioner of their rights.
In the end, sovereignty, like all freedoms, is only as strong as the people’s willingness to defend it.
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