“Touch Grass.”
That was the blunt message from Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay to lawmakers insisting that former president Rodrigo Duterte should face trial in Philippine courts — not before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Two words. Sharp. Unfiltered. Heavy with frustration.
Speaking at a press conference of the Duterte Panagutin Network in The Hague on Sunday — just one day before the ICC’s confirmation of charges hearing — Palabay did not hide her anger.
“How long can you tolerate a justice system that has long failed the victims?” she asked.
Her voice carried years of grief. Years of waiting.
“This is not forum shopping,” she said. “This is about finding ways to hold people accountable. Because until now — no one has been put in jail for these crimes.”
No one.
And that, she said, is the point.
The Senate Resolution
Last week, the Senate minority bloc — which includes Duterte allies — filed Senate Resolution 307.
The resolution urges that Filipinos accused of crimes abroad should first exhaust legal remedies in Philippine courts before being surrendered to an international tribunal.
It seeks to protect Filipinos from what it calls “extraordinary rendition” and to guarantee them reasonable time to seek redress locally.
The timing raised eyebrows.
The ICC Office of the Prosecutor recently identified Senators Bong Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as alleged co-perpetrators in Duterte’s bloody drug war. Both senators signed the resolution.
Senator Bam Aquino, part of the majority, said drug war cases should “ideally” be tried in Philippine courts because the victims are here.
Still, he added, he respects the ongoing ICC process.
Why The ICC?
For the victims’ families, the answer is painfully simple.
They waited.
They filed complaints.
They spoke out.
And yet, years later, no high-ranking official has been jailed over the thousands of deaths linked to the drug war.
For them, this is no longer about pride. It’s about justice.
The Hearing Begins
The ICC’s four-day confirmation of charges hearing begins Monday, February 23.
Subsequent hearings are set for February 24, 26, and 27.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time in The Hague — 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Philippines — prosecutors, defense lawyers, and victims’ representatives will present their arguments before Pre-Trial Chamber I.
This is not yet a trial.
But it is a crucial step.
A moment that many families have waited years to see.
“Ironic”
The tension does not stop there.
Duterte’s defense team has asked the court to deny the appointment of some lawyers representing drug war victims — a move Palabay called “obstructionist.”
Then came another twist.
ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti revealed that the Philippine government offered police protection to the victims’ lawyers.
She paused before responding.
“It was quite ironic,” Conti said.
“The same police who allegedly committed the extrajudicial killings are now tasked to protect the families.”
The irony hung heavy in the room.
For the victims, trust is fragile.
For years, they have carried fear alongside grief.
Now, as the ICC hearings begin, they carry something else:
Hope.
Careful. Guarded. But real.
Because after all this time, someone is finally listening.
