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Dear Sir, His Excellency Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the President of the Republic of Philippines.
I am writing today to you and yours for a very simple reason. Not that I have the answers, but I am seeking those. Because I am worried about you and your administration. Since, the act of withdrawal from the Rome Statute and leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) came to affect today.
A quick brief about the ICC and the Rome Statute: “The primary mission of the International Criminal Court is to help put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes” (…) “On 17 July 1998, a conference of 160 States established the first treaty-based permanent international criminal court. The treaty adopted during that conference is known as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Among other things, it sets out the crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the ICC, the rules of procedure and the mechanisms for States to cooperate with the ICC” (…) “ The mandate of the Court is to try individuals (rather than States), and to hold such persons accountable for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, when the conditions for the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction over the latter are fulfilled” (ICC – Understanding the International Criminal Court).
The reason for writing this is very clear as an outsider, a man who follows the Republic and sometimes worried about the state of affairs. I’m writing to you President Duterte, because this is a serious gamble. Your risking more than just some mere donations or bilateral loans, you are risking more than that.
Mister President, your actually taking yourself out of institution, whose prosecuting for international crimes and crimes against humanity. Which is a very specific court, not just any tribunal. Why I am asking, because your administration accepted the verdict of another international court, which ordered a verdict in your favour. That was the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague on the 12th July 2016 [The South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China)]. Therefore, the administration your running has accepted this and didn’t question the sovereign of this nor the laws it used for the ruling of this court.
If you as President are saying the ICC shouldn’t have any grounds of investigation you, than the same Republic and the same administration accept the verdict of another international court either. That is just an easy assessment, Mr. President.
As we are seeing the Republic leaves the ICC, could there be another reason for leaving it? Are you afraid of cases built up against you? Would you be afraid if they really investigated or looked into the anti-drug war? Are you afraid of what you did as Mayor of Davao?
I just got to ask. Since there has to be something, a reason why you are afraid of the ICC. If you had nothing to hide, if you had nothing to look into or questionable activity. You wouldn’t have revoked the Rome Statute and run away from the International Law?
I am really questioning it, since the same state had no issues accepting one International Court, but leaving another one. Are you leaving the laws and statutes of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague too? That would have been a bit fair, especially if your a supreme sovereign and not wanting any interference. This is a weird argument using against one, but accepting the other one.
I just had to ask. I don’t anticipate any answers, but the Filipino should get to know. Just not some PR Stunt and sample of the Withdrawal of the Rome Statute. There should be released an legal argument released to the public to read and with justified explanation. If not, we can wonder, if the you as a President is afraid of the ICC and what they could find.
I hope you could answer to that and also show grace. Not that I expect any, but as an outsider. This is just weird. No one is running away from something unless, they got something to hide. That is just ordinary fashion in these manners.
Best Regards
Writer of Minbane



“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front” – Nelson Mandela
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) have resolved nothing during the Kyankwanzi Summit in 2019. They have implemented the resolution, which honours the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), which had already on the 19th February 2019 endorsed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the sole candidate for the General Election in 2021.
Today, the NRM MPs or Caucus at the Kyankwanzi have resolved that the future needs the leadership of Museveni, not only for the 2021 Election, but also beyond. That is two months apart, that the NRM MPs shown their token and loyalty to the almighty President. The President for life. That they are now promoting and directly saying:
“We need Mzee more now, than ever before”, also to top it off, like anyone who is blind and not having ability to think freely, the NRM MPs states: “We need his firm guidance in mentoring and growing ideological, political and technical cadreship for protecting the gains of our revolution, as well as securing the future of the Ugandan and African people”.
That is what these people are able to say, they are Members of Parliament, the lawmakers and the elite of the Republic. Still, they are as worshipping their leader, like he is a cult leader, a deity, who has to guide them and lead them to redemption. They are awaiting his teachings and knowledge, because they don’t know where else to seek it. They are just awaiting the enlightenment from Mzee, the Bosco, the Mr. Sunday or Yoseri even.
Now they are waiting to get a vision, a sight and clear themselves from the desert and into a mirage; they want him to save them from hell and bring them into heaven. Because, that is the initial message from the latest NRM Kyankwanzi Resolution of 17th March 2019.
These MPs cannot ever be taken as free thinking individuals after signing off to this document and accepting the wording. They are all blind slaves, all minions of the President, these people doesn’t have any idea of leadership, neither what guidance is.
The NRM MPs doesn’t have the capability or mind to cope without the President. Since, they are just existing because the President. Therefore, they got to show him submission, praise him and be his servants. That is who they are, if they claim otherwise, just show their resolution. Nothing else matters, that is their ideas put into print. That is their life, this is their leader for life and they cannot see anyone else. This is why they are blind as bat and cannot see anything, not even how this sort of resolution or decision to again make the President a Sole Candidate.
Nothing is showing progress, nothing is showing excellence or integrity. They are just showing, that they cannot function or see a future without Museveni. Like there have been no Uganda before him. That is cult like behaviour. If the MPs don’t like it, that is fine, but this how it seems.
Mzee can do whatever, say whatever, act like whatever and still these people will praise him. No matter what happens, he is the guiding star, the man who has the answers. That is why they are never wearing hoodies and wanting snipers in their cars, as they drive through Bombo Road in Kampala. Peace.




