Of course, Philippine sovereignty must reign supreme — right up until it becomes inconvenient. Then, naturally, we must lovingly wrap it in a balikbayan box, slap an international postage label on it, and ship it to The Hague. After all, what is sovereignty if not something to invoke during speeches and quietly pawn off when your preferred foreign venue offers better odds against your political enemies?
This is the new high art of selective nationalism: demand that the Philippines stand tall, independent, and unbowed — except when the targets are those who were too hard on illegal drugs. Then suddenly, local courts are too slow, local laws are too messy, and local sovereignty is just a decorative slogan best printed on campaign posters. Why bother with the inconvenience of national institutions when you can simply outsource punishment to a court abroad and still call yourself a defender of the republic?
It is not really “rule of law” they are worshipping. It is rule of law with international delivery service — same moral outrage, faster foreign processing, and no need to admit that sovereignty only matters to them when it protects the right people.