By Raïssa Robles
“Idiot”, a “mere college graduate” and a “pseudo expert” on the Rome Statute was how she charmingly described me on Facebook.
I had never heard of Paula Defensor-Knack before this.
What set her off was my remark on the investigation of the complaints filed at the ICC. I commented on Twitter:
“I never never thought this would happen. Is the Duterte govt in panic mode?”
I thought that Attorney Jude Sabio’s filing before the ICC a year ago was a “suntok sa buwan” or punch in the sky. Something so remote and audacious that would be difficult to pursue.
And yet, the reaction of the Duterte government was extreme: to withdraw the nation altogether from the ICC. Which was why I had wondered.
Paula’s diatribe made me curious to look her up further. It seems her claim to expertise is that she is the youngest sister of the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago – architect of the Philippine concurrence to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Knack is also a lawyer but her specialization is on oceans and fish. She is still studying international criminal law at Leiden University and as far as I know, fish aren’t yet covered by criminal law. Her skills would probably prove useful should a garoupa (grouper) or bangus ever be hauled before the International Criminal Court.
What do you think?
What made me reply to her is that she is apparently being cited as some sort of expert by the Duterte trolls and the government’s propaganda apparatus, as the “go-to” on the Rome Statute and the ICC. I have already seen scores of posts praising her, reposting her remarks and urging her to run for the Senate.
ADDENDUM: It is the Duterte propaganda apparatus that has been amplifying Paula’s posts and repeatedly calling her “Miriam’s sister” like this one:
I found this curious and disturbing because this was the very opposite of what her dying sister fought for.
Here is my reply to her – in Filipino:
canadadry says
To Paula, Happy 2018 Easter Philippines!
Disregarding the pains of murdered and families.. A Leiden Pinay student, Miriam sis, claims ICC expertise… Says any talk on anti Duterte-pro ICC is all gaga, all bobo… Yet her expertise is fishes not international law..
Holland, where she studies, has drugs buy/sell decriminalized.. But in her native PI, critics/addicts are dehumanized and brutalized.. Doesnt bother her on the sorry plight of her poor countrymen Could fishes be for her far more valuable than men?…
Twenty thousand has been murdered… Does she care where they are buried.. Better for them to be shot in cold blood, dumped, unheard? … Is this her new society’s creed?..
Does she give a damn on the families the murdered leave behind.. When powers that be shout “let them seek the justice they want ,,if they can find”.. When the powerful think they have the key who lives or dies in the new society.. When to criticize is to be considered a “druglord -friendly” adversary..
To be hounded… to be shamed as one Senator of the country….
Its Easter time, yet still killing time?… the murders still happen yet no bells chime? Doesnt bother her when “human rights workers” are viewed as “killable” as “addicts”… Especially when her beloved killer president says this while in great fentanyl fix? …
Our main problem, her President says, is crimes.. Then he blames drugs as the blight of the times… He dehumanizes addicts as thousands shot and bleed… Many get desensitized, turn away their gaze on this daily dastardly deed..
Happy Easter Philippines to Christians and celebrating Catholics… who could not care less where to bury the murdered “addicts”…. Happy Easter Philippines!..Go on bathe in your white sands shores… As long as tonight no policeman knocks on your homes, on your doors…
Does she give a damn for the families the murdered leave behind.. When powerful say let them seek the justice they want..if they can find.. To her desensitized, unfeeling crowd, go on live the Summer Scenes.. Ignore the pains, ignore the tears, …to Paula.. Happy Easter Philippines!…
arc says
tama yata si miriam, stupidy is forever, and it hit home! sis paula is prime example.
Yvonne says
Hi Raissa,
I have a post in moderation.
raissa says
Is it about the new visa requirement? It’s out now.
Yvonne says
U.S. SET TO REQUEST FIVE YEARS OF SOCIAL MEDIA HISTORY FOR ALL VISA APPLICANTS
Some years ago, if my recollection is right, Raissa admonished some posters in her blog site about their strong anti-American rhetoric. She cautioned that some of their posts in social media could someday come back to haunt them.
In another instance, again if my recollection is right, someone (was it Johnny Lin?) joked that Parekoy better keep JoeAm’s contact number handy when he visits the U.S. in case he gets held up at the point of entry.
Well, what do we know? Raissa’s foresight seems to be coming true.
According to ABC News datelined Mar 29, 2018, 5:59 PM ET:
.
– QOUTE –
US set to request five years of social media history for all visa applicants
The Trump administration is seeking to change visa applications to require all applicants to turn over five years of social media history.
The move is a major expansion of President Donald Trump’s effort to implement “extreme vetting” and change how immigrants and visitors to the U.S. are processed.
The proposed new rule would require foreigners applying for a visa to include their social media usernames on various platforms including Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, as well as previous email addresses, phone numbers, international travel — all from the last five years.
The State Department, which filed a notice of the proposed change, estimates it will affect 14.71 million applicants, including those who apply as students, for business trips, or on vacation.
– UNQUOTE –
.
With this latest news I will not be surprised if we noticed a sudden drop in anti-U.S. rhetoric and bullying tactics of many in Duterte’s adminstration, as well as a significant drop in the spread of fake news and anti-human rights sentiments in many social media sites especially in Facebook.
And I wonder how the so-called followers of Paula Defensor Knack will react to this latest news.
You can read more about this latest news here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-set-request-years-social-media-history-visa/story?id=54106598
raissa says
Hmmm.
Rather extreme.
We will be seeing some dramatic deletions in timelines.
Thanks for this.
leona says
If a Pinoy applicant for US visa or US immigrant said anything bad or very critical about USA, LAGOT KA NA!
Once this Immigration rule is enforced….> Change for a NEW – FB is time now.
leona says
’tis only now I know Sen. Miriam Santiago has a sister Paula …my 1 cent guess is that Paula must have had vehement spats with the elder Senator everyday at earlier times.
Now, the elder sis cannot call her BOBO! . . . and asks her ‘Saan ka nag aral ng law?’ Or call her ‘Idiot ka!’ Or tell her ‘Go! Jump from a flying aircraft without a parachute!’
‘Boobwitin ka’! Ayyy! Paul will cringe in those corners of Facebook. . . >
HA HA HA
arc says
pin up girl yang si paula defensor knack ng mga malingering trolls ni duterte, from leiden university kuno yan. leiden is in nederland where drugs is decriminalized, he,he, he, anyone going to nederland can buy drugs in coffee shops, and they dont get killed but allowed to enjoy drugs. my bet is, there are also drug users in leiden university.
so what’s paula cringing about? nederland’s attitude to drugs is relaxed, easy going sila duon. tapos nasa hague pa naman ang seat ng icc. left wing, right wing, neo nazis, plenty of them in nederland also herring fish, hence paula’s law degree in fishes, he, he, he, rollmops and gherkins galore.
netty says
Leona, eto pa isang hahah. Sana mabili kahit korni.
Let’s play Knack , Knack! :)
Paula: KNACK, KNACK
Wiggy: Who’s there?
Paula: ICC
Wiggy: ICC who?
Paula: IC dead people, ICC her beside you, Wiggy.
raissa says
LOL.
Ariel Manlapig says
Paula is just another one of those self-serving politician in the making. Sa “tono” pa lang ng pananalita niya ay mababakas mo na bulok na pag-uugali nito at wala sa tamang lugar kung may prinsipyo mang masasabi. Sayang at may pinag-aralan pa naman. She may be speaking her mind but she is nothing compared to her sister, Miriam. I could not just comprehend anymore why there are people like her who continue to support and defend Duterte.
arc says
paula defensor knack speaks like an idiot herself! we have freedom of speech in pinas and speaking against a sitting president is not new. kagagahan at kagaguhan and paula has them all. if she’s a lawyer, she ought to respect people’s opinion even those contrary to hers.
duterte sure appears panicky to us, his reaction of withdrawing pinas sa icc done urgently that our teddy boy locsin sa united nations was caught off guard, natulala yata. still teddy boy okayed withdrawal documents even though said documents composition was below his par, hastily made and executed.
paula is just in denial, not panicky at calm kuno si duterte, aba fentanyl induced calm yan. paula is not doctor and cannot tell how a fentanyl induced calm looks like.
kaya tingnan nyo, duterte nag-73rd birthday sa dabaw sans the presence of well wishers, surrounded kuno by his own families only. yeah right, hindi yan nagpakita sa publico dahil puno yata ng fentanyl patches ang katawan! he, he, he. and paula defenso knack is none the wiser, the barking doggette, he, he, he.
in our country we have right to express opinions, just as paula has the right to express hers abogado man o hindi.
aberato says
“delusion of grandeur” is a mental state….is this genetic?
aberato says
in deference to the late senator mirriam defensor santiago, she was one of a kind..an “outlier” i guess but sometimes showed peculiarity beyond comprehension to average people. amazing but on the contrary a suspect of something phenomenal mental capability…
her sister’s a good semblance in a unique way….
raissa says
I once wrote a profile on her just before the 1992 elections. Have to dig it up.
arc says
metaphorically speaking po, raissa has hit a raw nerve. so, it’s paula to duterte’s rescue! and paula herself sounded panicky too, wanting yata to drown raissa with big intimidating words, copious. high falutin’ big mama paula, too much herrings in nederland. ask joma.