Logical fallacies

EYES WIDE OPEN

- IRIS GONZALES

The political noise is getting louder as I write this. Tensions between Rody Duterte's supporters and Malacañang are now even more heated than the scorching summer weather.

The real issue though is this: the former president is facing trial for crimes against humanity. Victims of his bloody drug war are seeking justice.

In defense of the former president, Duterte's supporters have been dishing out different arguments to shape the narrative surrounding his arrest and looming trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

But if you look closely, these are logical fallacies or errors in reasoning.

There's false dilemma or false dichotomy, for instance. Critics claim the arrest of the ICC undermines the country's sovereignty. But this isn't true. Upholding sovereignty does not mean disregarding international law. Although the Philippines withdrew as a member of the ICC, the court still has jurisdiction over crimes committed before that withdrawal.

Argumentum ad populum is another type of a logical fallacy that argues for the truth of a claim based on its widespread belief.

"If many say he's innocent, he must be." This is a popular line among Duterte's followers. But there are testimonies of witnesses, documents, forensic investigations and the bodies themselves to prove the existence of the bloody drug war. Duterte also has no qualms about killing alleged criminals. He said so himself.