By Ma. Louela Allyanah Luna

Families of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims during the Duterte administration’s  war on drugs along with progressive multi-sectoral groups, called for justice and the upholding of due process following former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest for crimes against humanity last March 11.

International non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch recorded over 12,000 deaths since Duterte’s war on drugs campaign began. 

This prompted the International Criminal Court (ICC) to file charges against the former president for crimes against humanity for murder. 

Following his arrest, several families of EJK victims, as well as human rights groups staged an immediate protest at Welcome Rotonda, hours after Duterte’s apprehension. 

“Kami po ay nananawagan at umaasa pa rin na [mabigyan] kami ng pansin at patuloy na ipagtanggol ang karapatang pantao at mabigyan ng hustisya ang aming mga kaanak at lahat ng mga biktima na pinaslang (We are calling and hoping that we are given attention, continue to defend human rights, and given justice to our families and all the victims that were killed)," Rise Up for Life and for Rights member and mother of two drug war victims Llore Pasco plead.  

In an interview with FEU Advocate, Emily Soriano, mother of 16-year-old Angelito Soriano, who was killed by a masked man in Caloocan, demanded due process and proper trials to eradicate the cases of unjust killings in the country.  

“Sana po magkaroon ng due process, hindi po dapat pinapatay. Dapat po lahat sila dinadaan sa tamang proseso [para] mawala na po sana ang mga patayang nagaganap dito sa atin, sa Pilipinas. Kasi mga walang kasalanan, pinapatay (I hope due process is observed so that people are not killed. Everything should follow the right process so that the killings in the Philippines would stop, as innocent people are being killed),” she urged. 

Soriano also contrasted Duterte’s arrest to the thousands of drug war victims who were killed without due process.

In a separate interview, Dahlia Cuartero, mother of Jesus Cuartero III, who was killed in an anti-drug operation by Bulacan police, emphasized the importance of Duterte’s arrest to her family, given that her son’s death anniversary falls in the same month. 

“Isang… umpisa para sa hustisya pa sa mga anak namin, lalong-lalo na ‘yung sa anak ko... Mag-aanim na taon na sa March 25... Kaya ganun na lang [ako] kasaya [na] nahuli siya nitong month na ‘to. Ito talaga ang pang-anim na taon ng aking anak na mabigyan ng katarungan (This is the beginning of serving justice for our children, especially for our son. It will be his sixth year this March 25. This is why I am so happy that he was arrested this month. This is his sixth year that my son will be given justice)," she said. 

Other families expressed mixed emotions about the arrest due to the lingering anxiety regarding the outcome of the trial. 

“Siyempre, naiiyak kami na natutuwa dahil ito na, mapapanagot na namin si Duterte, pero hindi pa rin kami kuntento, [hindi pa] tuwang-tuwa dahil lilitisin pa po siya (Of course, we want to cry while feeling happy because this is it, we are about to make Duterte liable for his actions, but we are still not pleased. We cannot be very happy because he will still be on trial),” Soriano remarked. 

Meanwhile, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list (ACT Teachers) National Chairperson Vladimir Quetua urged the Philippine government to take action on Duterte’s case to achieve total justice.  

“Sa matagal na panahon, almost six years, isa ang sektor, ‘yung kaguroan, na naghihintay ng hustisya at pagpapanagot. Kaya ‘yung hamon natin sa kasalukuyang gobyerno ay tumulong doon sa pagpapanagot [at] pagpapakulong [kay Duterte], hindi lang ‘yung ICC (For a long time, almost six years, the education sector is among those waiting for justice and accountability. Our challenge to the current government is for them to aid in upholding accountability and detaining Duterte),” he stated.

The former Davao mayor was known for his iron-fisted leadership and vowed to eliminate all drug pushers when he ran for presidency in 2016.  

According to Reuters, the police killed more than 2,000 people just a few months after the drug war started in 2016.

The ICC prosecutor’s office stated that they would conduct an investigation on the alarming number of deaths in the country back in February 2018, and Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the global court not even a month later.

However, the court retains authority over crimes committed during the country’s membership period. 

After the Philippines claimed to have a proper judicial system to address the abuses, the investigation was suspended in 2021 but was reopened in 2023 after the global court deemed the country’s efforts insufficient. 

Duterte was served an arrest warrant issued by the ICC upon his return from his trip to Hong Kong delivered through INTERPOL Manila, nearly four years after he left the highest post. 

His family continues to insist that the arrest was unlawful, with Vice President Sara Duterte, his daughter, flying to Amsterdam the next day to help with her father’s legal team. 

In addition, the former president’s daughter Veronica ‘Kitty’ Duterte filed a petition with the Supreme Court to order the return of her father to the country. 

However, the Supreme Court denied the petition for a Temporary Restraining Order filed by the former president and Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, citing their failure to establish a clear and unmistakable right. 

As of press time, former president Duterte is placed under the custody of the ICC, having arrived at their headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, last March 12 at around 11:56 p.m. Philippine Standard Time.

(Photo by Melvin James Urubio/FEU Advocate)