Good evening. The showdown between the Marcos and Duterte families in the Philippines appears to have entered a new phase. Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and extradited to The Hague, Netherlands, where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based, on charges linked to his brutal “war on drugs” campaign while in office.
It is highly unusual for a former president to be arrested at the request of the ICC. This case is even more unprecedented because the Philippines is no longer an ICC member and is not obligated to arrest or extradite him under the court’s warrant.
As a colleague noted, this extraordinary development cannot be separated from the domestic politics of the Philippines, where campaigning for the midterm elections is intensifying and Duterte still plans to participate.
The ICC is known for its bold efforts to prosecute international crimes, and has issued arrest warrants for world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As you can imagine, the court’s aggressive pursuit of the rule of law, or ultimate justice, has always sparked strong backlash. Not only have Russia and Israel targeted the ICC, but U.S. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials.
In contrast, Japan has a close relationship with the organization. Tokyo is the largest financial contributor to the ICC, and the current president of the court is Tomoko Akane, the first Japanese person to hold this position.
This fearless woman is now on Russia’s wanted list as a form of retaliation. In an interview with Japanese media, Akane said, “Japan holds a unique position in the world, as it is not part of Europe or Africa, where many ICC member countries are located.” She added that Tokyo “is capable of making neutral and fair judgments.”
My suggested reads
1. As the number of wealthy Asians grows, high-profile luxury brands are investing heavily in residences in Southeast Asia. Among the well-known companies developing properties are Four Seasons, Aman and Porsche — showing the sector is attractive to businesses beyond the hotel and hospitality industry.
2. Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation offers remote regions around the world rapid and simple internet access. But tiny islands strung across the Pacific Ocean face a dilemma: Getting residents online may carry a heavy price, with concerns about stranded investments the islands have already made, as well as data security.
3. Japanese telecom carrier NTT is pursuing a bright idea: replacing copper wires in telecommunications networks with light to create a fully optical network. Success would slash the amount of energy used by AI data centers, but the technological hurdles are not small.
4. In late February, Indonesia launched the Danantara sovereign wealth fund in a bid to support President Prabowo Subianto’s 8% growth target. However, despite authorities’ assurances and price-boosting measures, the fund has yet to win over domestic and international investors, dragging down state-owned bank shares.
5. For many, the name Cox’s Bazar has become synonymous with the world’s largest refugee camp. But this sprawling Bangladeshi coastal town is also one of Southeast Asia’s most popular holiday destinations. Writer Rebecca L. Root reflects on the complexities of navigating the city’s dual identity.
Through the lens
This week’s top photo pick: On March 11, Yoshihito Sasaki throws flowers into the sea where his wife’s body was found after the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region on the same day in 2011.
More than 20,000 people lost their lives in the disaster, while another 27,600 were displaced across Japan. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Check out more of our photo coverage here.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Shin Nakayama
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