If the President can accept that abuses were committed, then that should be a signal and an incentive to act

True enough, but it is also true that our judicial system has many problems and is not perfect. Although we Filipinos are so familiar with our system and take everything in stride like alleged judicial corruption, judicial independence and court cases that last forever, it is hard for foreign observers to accept or understand it.

A good example of this is the case of former Senator Leila de Lima who has been in jail for more than six years without any resolution in sight that the Supreme Court had to intervene and ordered the case must be resolved before the end of the year. Outside observers take the De Lima case which has been so internationalized as an example of a politicized justice system.

Third is the stalled and slow conduct of investigations.

The DOJ has always wanted all complainants to go the agency so that an investigation can be conducted.

This invitation was again renewed last week with assurances of protection to complainants. Since the DOJ must be in possession of information regarding all of the so-called suspicious police operations, the better step is facts, Russia decided to pull out of the BSGI, using food as a weapon and endangering the global food supply. Hours after withdrawing from the initiative, Russia started also to destroy Ukraine’s grain storage facilities and port infrastructure with daily targeted attacks, not only in the Black Sea itself but also in the Danube. typhoons can have a beneficial effect as these can bring more rains and help ensure sufficient water supply for households and farms amid the looming El Niño phenomenon. to start the investigations to show good faith.

As an immediate reaction, wholesale wheat and maize prices saw their biggest increase since the start of Russia’s war of aggression.

The increased food price volatility is likely to persist as long as Russia puts global food supply under deliberate stress, aggravating the global cost-of-living crisis and most acutely for food-insecure people in import-dependent countries.

This is unacceptable and should be resolutely condemned.

As the world deals with disrupted supplies and higher prices, Russia is now approaching vulnerable countries, notably in Africa, with bilateral offers of limited grain shipments, pretending to solve a problem it created itself.

This is a cynical policy of deliberately using food as a weapon.

The water supply from various dams can be enough for the rest of the year despite the expected reduction of rainfall by the last quarter as a side effect of El Niño.

The national government and LGUs appear to be in a better position now to respond to natural disasters.

The NDRRMC, the coordinating body of various departments and agencies, has been doing a good job in disaster response.

The Department of Social Work and Development has in fact prepositioned relief supplies such as water, canned food, rice and other basic necessities in disasterprone areas.

In a recent media forum, Director Edgar Posadas of the Office of Civil Defense was asked if the agency agreed with the proposed law creating a separate Department of Disaster Resilience that has yet to be passed by both chambers of Congress. His reply: The various government agencies are already doing their part in disaster preparedness and disaster response, but we leave it to Congress and the Chief Executive and his Cabinet to decide on the matter.

After all, the DOJ can initiate an investigation on its own even without the initial presence of the complainants. And if the victims will see the sincerity of the investigations, then perhaps they will go to the DOJ.

The problem why many of the complainants chose to go to cause-oriented groups for assistance instead of the police was because of their belief they will not be given a fair deal.

Proof of this as far as they are concerned is that only two of the cases have ended in convictions.

The several hundred cases being reviewed are still in limbo after all these years.

It is no wonder the complainants went outside the system to seek justice.

A new approach is needed.

The fourth is the issue of sovereignty.

The country signed and ratified the Rome statute voluntarily without any outside coercion.

By that action, we agreed to abide by all the articles of the treaty.

To say now that this violates our sovereignty when we knew exactly what we were getting into when we signed the treaty is, therefore, disingenuous.

Could there be another reason the government just does not want to admit?

The better approach for the DOJ is to forget the confrontational rhetoric and fast track the investigation and filing of cases in court to convince local and international skeptics including the ICC that we are capable of dispensing justice as we are claiming.

The ICC is not the whole and only problem.

Part of it is our slowness and refusal to accept that there were indeed abuses committed during the anti-drug campaign that needs investigating.

Even PBBM accepts this.

If the President can accept that abuses were committed, then that should be a signal and an incentive to act.

As they say, the truth will set us free.

In response to Russia’s irresponsible actions, the EU is active along three main lines.

First, we will continue to support the tireless efforts of the United Nations and Türkiye to resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Second, we continue to strengthen our “Solidarity Lanes” as alternative routes for Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets through the EU.

These lanes have allowed the export of more than 41 million tons of Ukraine’s agricultural goods so far, and we are increasing this as much as possible to mitigate the consequences of Russia’s termination of the BSGI.

Third, we increased our financial support to countries and people most in need, providing €18 billion to address food security until 2024.

We call on the international community and all countries to step up their own assistance in support of global food security.

We ask all our partners to urge Russia to return to negotiations as the African Union already did, as well as to refrain from targeting Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure.

With a clear and unified voice, we can get Russia to resume its participation in the BSGI.

The world has a shared interest in responsible stewardship of global food security.

We owe it to the people most in need.

(The author is High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission)