Thursday, June 1, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Columns Naked Thought by Charlie V. Manalo

A suspect investigating a suspect

Charlie V. ManalobyCharlie V. Manalo
June 24, 2021, 12:00 am
in Naked Thought by Charlie V. Manalo
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

A suspect investigating a suspect"How ironic."

 

 

Last week Fatou Bensouda, just hours before her retirement as prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, released the results of her investigation regarding the alleged extrajudicial killings perpetrated by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte in the furtherance of his war against drugs.

According to Bensouda there exists a “reasonable basis to believe that the Crime Against Humanity of murder was committed” in the Philippines, thus, the case is now submitted for formal trial. And of course, the number one suspect is no less than the country’s president.

While I have no idea what was her basis in arriving at such findings (which I will discuss later), I believe the bigger question would be is not the basis of her conclusion of the case but the very reason why she was picked as prosecutor for the ICC in the first place. 

Bensouda comes from the Republic of Gambia, a country in Africa besieged by massive cases of human rights violations. 

According to the World Health Organization, 78.3 percent of Gambian girls and women have suffered female genital mutilation, some sort of female circumcision which is being forced on them.

A reporter, Ebrima Manneh, was said to have been arrested in July 2006 Gambia's National Intelligence Agency after attempting to republish a BBC report criticizing President Yahya Jammeh and was supposedly held secretly in custody since then. And in 2019, the Gambian newspaper The Trumpet reported that Manneh had died in captivity at some point in mid-2008.

Now, does coming from a country beset by human rights problems make her the most qualified for the post of prosecutor in the ICC? I don’t think so as this could even prejudiced her cause against strongman rulers.

But there's more to being prejudiced as her credibility when it comes to human rights matters is being questioned by a Philippine senator.

According to Senator Francis Tolentino, Bensouda was included in the specifically designated national or SDN list of the US government under President Trump.

Bensouda was previously sanctioned by the Trump government, which accused the ICC of targeting Americans after she was deemed an SDN by the US Treasury and was grouped alongside terrorists and narcotics traffickers.

“Bensouda as a US designated ‘terrorist’ was considered as a threat to US national security and foreign and economic policies and though a former bank manager, her financial transactions and those dealing with her were blocked by the US Treasury,” Tolentino noted.

“How can she during her tenure objectively conduct an investigation when some members of the international community considered her as persona non grata for terrorist links?” he stressed.

Right on point.

Lawyer Larry Gadon, however, has a different appreciation for Bensouda’s last-minute release of her findings.

For Gadon, Bensouda’s ulterior motive was money, or the salaries, wages, allowances, travel benefits, representation expenses, and benefits and privileges she was set to receive, and this served as  her driving force in pursuing the case.

“She has to make it appear she was working to justify continuously receiving her salaries, wages and other allowances from the ICC,” said Gadon.

In turn, Gadon says the ICC must continue to pursue high-profile cases such as the Duterte case to justify its existence and the flow of donations to its coffer.

Gadon stresses that the primary complainant in the case against Duterte, lawyer Jude Sabio, has already withdrawn his complaint and had personally admitted his sworn affidavit which he submitted to the ICC was nothing but a manufactured statement and that all the accusations he raised were nothing but tall tales.

So, what exactly was Bensouda’s basis in coming up with such findings?

With no basis or any complaint to stand on, or with her credibility as terribly incredible as Sabio’s sworn statement, are we now to believe in the accuracy of Bensouda’s findings?

In a scene in the Star Wars movie, when Obi Wan Kenobi took the young Anakin Skywalker under his wings, Grandmaster Yoda could be heard saying, “An apprentice training an apprentice,” as Obi Wan Kenobi has yet to finish his Jedi training.

In the matter of the ICC case against Duterte, it is a situation wherein a suspect – Bensouda as she has been suspected of having links with terrorists and narcotics traffickers by the US government, plus the fact her motive is now being subjected to doubts, is investigating another suspect – Duterte, for alleged state-sponsored killings.

How ironic.

Tags: extrajudicial killingsFatou BensoudaInternational Criminal Court
ADVERTISEMENT
Charlie V. Manalo

Charlie V. Manalo

Related Posts

Starting on the wrong foot

byCharlie V. Manalo
July 2, 2022, 12:00 am
0
223
Denying Villafuerte justice

"I was thinking that hijacking can only be done in the open seas, but not in land-based terminals" it is...

Read more

Too fertile an imagination

byCharlie V. Manalo
June 27, 2022, 12:00 am
0
77
Denying Villafuerte justice

"The funny thing is they are still very much in existence, doing what they do best—That is to criticize the...

Read more

A failure to head food security?

byCharlie V. Manalo
June 25, 2022, 12:05 am
0
43
Denying Villafuerte justice

"Lest Carlos forgets, Piñol was forced to resign as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture in 2019 after his benefactor,...

Read more

A recipe for disaster

byCharlie V. Manalo
June 18, 2022, 12:05 am
0
41
Denying Villafuerte justice

"If there are plans to make PTFOMS a milking cow by transforming it into a welfare office for the media,...

Read more

The people’s lawyer

byCharlie V. Manalo
June 16, 2022, 12:00 am
0
80
Denying Villafuerte justice

“One name keeps cropping up for the position of Solicitor General...that piece of rumor pique my interest as it pertains...

Read more

Feeling entitled

byCharlie V. Manalo
June 13, 2022, 12:00 am
0
28
Denying Villafuerte justice

“A critic of whatever issue tasked to lead a probe could be dangerous as the post could be used to...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Chinese fans welcome ‘Comrade Musk’
  • Two children killed in Russian strike on Kyiv
  • US House votes to avert default, setting up Senate showdown
  • M[email protected]: Leading the Way to a Resilient and Sustainable Future
  • MSD in the Philippines reaffirms commitment to end cervical cancer
  • Cavite City relives first waving of the Philippine Flag  
  • Aggao Nac Cagayan starts today, highlights victory of Cagayano spirit
  • Butler says Heat-Nuggets furore in past

Advertisement

Latest News

Cavite City relives first waving of the Philippine Flag  

byManila Standard
June 1, 2023, 9:14 am
0
8
Cavite City relives first waving of the Philippine Flag  

Historical reenactors of the Republica Filipina Reenactment Group (RFRG) role play the first waving of the Philippine Flag at a replica of...

Read more

Aggao Nac Cagayan starts today, highlights victory of Cagayano spirit

byThe Standard
June 1, 2023, 9:00 am
0
8
Aggao Nac Cagayan starts today, highlights victory of Cagayano spirit

By Jessica M. BacudTUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – The Local Government of Cagayan kicked off its 440th Aggao Nac Cagayan celebration...

Read more

Butler says Heat-Nuggets furore in past

byAFP
June 1, 2023, 9:00 am
0
8
More fireworks as Heat, Celtics clash in Game 7

Jimmy Butler said there was no lingering bad blood between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets on Wednesday as the...

Read more

Amazon settles Ring customer spying complaint

byAFP
June 1, 2023, 8:00 am
0
8
Amazon settles Ring customer spying complaint

Amazon on Wednesday agreed to pay $30.8 million to settle Ring and Alexa privacy complaints filed by US regulators, including...

Read more

PHILEX MINING CORPORATION: Notice of the 2023 Annual General Meeting of Stockholders

byManila Standard
June 1, 2023, 6:00 am
0
8
Philex eyeing partners for $1.1-billion Silangan mine

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App