15/11/2025
A few months ago, Zaldy Co appeared in public wearing a neck brace. Yesterday, he released a new video where he looked noticeably thinner and frail. It is difficult not to recognize a familiar pattern: the well-worn strategy of politicians suddenly โfalling illโ the moment they face legal trouble. This performance of sickness โ this carefully crafted faรงade โ has become an almost expected spectacle in the Philippines.
We have seen it again and again. Imelda Marcos. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Joseph Estrada. And even the recently deceased Juan Ponce Enrile โ although formally acquitted of graft and plunder charges โ remains a symbol of selective justice for many Filipinos. His acquittal, achieved after years of delays, humanitarian bail, and procedural twists, continues to raise questions. The publicโs doubt isnโt baseless; it reflects a long history of powerful individuals walking free while ordinary people face the full force of the law. The โlegal victoryโ may be on paper, but the moral and political doubts surrounding it remain unresolved.
The same script is unfolding for Rodrigo Duterte: appeals for sympathy, claims of declining health, and arguments that he is no longer fit to stand trial โ all conveniently emerging just as questions of responsibility and accountability come knocking.
But what happens if the accused truly โshuts downโ before facing judgment? We are left with nothing. No closure. No accountability. No justice. What remains is a vacuum quickly filled by propaganda โ a heroic narrative crafted to overshadow the harsh reality of a bloody and destructive drug war. A myth passed on as if it were truth.
This is precisely why criminal courts exist: to uphold justice with clarity, impartiality, and evidence โ cold, straightforward, and fact-based. And it is exactly the kind of justice system the Philippines deserves. One that will no longer allow powerful individuals to evade responsibility by claiming illness, age, or fragility. One that does not force us to send criminals outside our borders just to ensure they are tried fairly.
Accountability should not depend on the strength of a politicianโs performance, but on the strength of our institutions. Until then, the cycle will continue โ and so will our losses.