Rhetoric, Responsibility, and the Reach of Rome: When Political Hyperbole Becomes International Law
Rhetoric, Responsibility, and the Reach of Rome: When Political Hyperbole Becomes International Law Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™ February 24, 2026 Premise In a courtroom that aspires to be both temple and theatre, the prosecution’s opening statement against a former head of state rests on two pillars: the public pronouncements of that leader about a domestic campaign against illegal drugs, and the assertion that domestic remedies were unavailable because the Department of Justice, then led by Secretary Crispin Remulla, declared as much. If these two pillars are allowed to bear the weight of international criminal jurisdiction, what becomes of ordinary political speech? If a leader’s bluster about “destroying enemies” or hyperbolic threats of violence can be transmuted into criminal responsibility, do we not risk converting every rhetorical excess into a prosecutable act? Is the International Criminal Court the proper forum to adjudicate what the prosecution frames as a failure of...
