FOR families of victims of the bloody war against drugs during the previous administration, the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte brought about by a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court is the first step towards attaining justice for their kin.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes III said “justice caught up with the butcher.”
Trillanes recalled that he and former Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, a fellow former military officer, filed the complaint against Duterte before the ICC in June 2017 for crimes against humanity through mass murder and extrajudicial executions.
Alejano hailed the ICC move as a major break in the effort to hold Duterte and other officials of his administration accountable for the thousands of unsolved killings that happened during his war on drugs.
Authorities said over 6,200 were killed at the height of the Duterte government’s war against the illegal drugs trade, although local and international human rights organizations have cited a much higher figure of more than 20,000 including 16,355 killed in vigilante-style killings.
“Walang katumbas na saya ang naramdaman ko ngayon, kasabay ng pagluha dahil sa saya sa pag-aresto kay Duterte (I could not contain my happiness, and tears of happiness, over Duterte’s arrest),” said Dahlia Cuartero.
Cuartero lost her son at the height of the drug crackdown. She is a member of “Rise up for Life and Rights,” a group set up amid an upsurge in drug-related killings during Duterte’s war against drugs.
“I have mixed emotions. I am in tears; I really want to see Duterte jailed to pay for what he did to us,” Jane Lee, whose husband was among those killed after being suspected as involved in the narcotics trade, said in Filipino, in a statement released by the group.
“But he is still fortunate because he just got arrested by the police, while our relatives were killed. There is really a big difference between a powerful and influential one compared to ordinary persons like us.”
“If there is no `Tokhang,’ my husband would still be alive. That is why Duterte should be held accountable,” said Nanay Salvacion, who also lost her husband at the height of the drug war.
In Quezon City, about 500 relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and members of multisectoral groups like Anakbayan, Gabriela, and Bayan Muna gathered at the Welcome Rotunda to welcome the arrest.
ENABLERS NEXT
Edre Olalia, national chairperson of the National Union of Peoples Lawyers, said Duterte’s arrest is just but another step to get justice for victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and other human rights violations during his term.
“This is the beginning of the end. It has been a long and winding road yet we are glimpsing the end of it. We look back too at the time we immediately raised our fist and called out the instant the monstrous killings started,” Olalia said.
“Self-righteous tyrants like Duterte fall from their pedestals with the collective pushback over the years. But not without cost and sacrifice. Now, enablers must also come next in line as justice must be served after a long wait,” he added.
Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch said Duterte’s arrest is a critical step for accountability in the Philippines.
“Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity in relation to thousands of extrajudicial killings in his ‘war on drugs’ between 2011 and 2019. His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and sends the clear message that no one is above the law,” Lau said.
Lau said the Marcos administration should now surrender the former president to the ICC in The Hague.
JUSTICE, FINALLY
“After eight years, finally, justice caught up with the butcher.”
This was Trillanes’ reaction after news of Duterte’s arrest broke out.
“To all of those who stayed with us on the long road to obtain justice for the thousands of EJK victims, thank you so much,” Trillanes said in his post on his personal Facebook page.
Alejano, in saying the arrest as a major break in the effort to hold Duterte and other officials of his administration accountable, reminded the public of the murder of Kian delos Santos and thousands more who were executed without due process, and their families who have been seeking accountability for years.
“To the victims and their relatives, this is a step closer to attaining justice,” he said.
Alejano gave credit to the testimonies of former Duterte hitmen Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas who came out to give eyewitness accounts regarding atrocities committed by the “Davao death squad” under Duterte’s direction.
“We won’t forget those who gave up their personal freedom and risked their lives to expose the truth, like Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas. They sacrificed a lot – leaving their homes and their loved ones to live the last few years in hiding, fearing for their lives every day,” he said.
He also recognized the help of human rights defenders, lawyers, and civil society organizations who have fought to uphold truth and justice despite the threats, intimidation, and personal peril.
“The message behind the issuance of the ICC warrant is unmistakable: No one escapes accountability. The law must be applied evenly, without regard for power or influence,” the former Philippine Marine officer added.
Alejano stressed that the prosecution of Duterte and his co-respondents in the ICC case is not a foreign intervention in a domestic matter but part of due process to hold those in power accountable for their crimes.
‘SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE’
Makabayan senatorial candidate France Castro welcomed the service of the arrest warrant against Duterte for crimes against humanity as “a significant milestone in the pursuit of accountability and justice for the victims of his brutal regime.”
“The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte marks a concrete step towards accountability and justice for the countless victims of his bloody regime. This should serve as a reminder that those responsible for human rights abuses must face the consequences of their actions,” she said.
ACT Teachers party-list nominee Antonio Tinio expressed hope the rest of the respondents in the case would be rounded up so that trial can begin shortly.
“We hope that Vice President Sara Duterte would be next. The wheels of justice must continue to turn, and all those complicit in the atrocities committed during Duterte’s administration must be held accountable for their actions,” he said.
The ICC stepped in because of complaints filed before it starting 2017 after the Duterte government failed to take action to investigate and file cases in connection with thousands of extra judicial killings during his administration’s war on drugs.
“The arrest of former President Duterte sends a clear message that justice will prevail and that those who have committed grave human rights violations will be held accountable for their actions,” Castro said.
HOPE
Senatorial aspirant and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said the ICC’s move offers hope for the families of EJK victims, particularly young children who became collateral damage to the failed campaign against the trafficking of illegal drugs.
“The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity is a crucial step toward achieving justice for the countless victims of his bloody war on drugs. It offers a glimpse of hope for the families who, until now, continue to search for the justice that has remained so elusive,” Brosas said.
She urged the public to remember the Kian Delos Santos (17), Joshua Laxamana (17), Althea Barbon (4), Myca Ulpina (3), Angelito Soriano (16), Jones Segovia (15), Sonny Espinosa (16), and countless others who were all murdered but most of whom have yet to attain justice.
“While it cannot bring back the lives lost, Duterte’s arrest is a step toward holding him accountable for the countless human rights abuses committed under his term,” the lawmaker said.
Beyond the drug war, she said, Duterte’s regime also waged a brutal crackdown on activists and human rights defenders.
“Duterte must face trial before the International Criminal Court, and the Marcos administration must ensure that he does not evade justice. At the same time, the government must take the necessary action to ensure that victims’ families can safely come forward and participate in the ICC proceedings — not just to hold Duterte accountable, but also to prosecute other key implementers of his war on drugs,” she added.
Brosas noted that even as Duterte was arrested, many individuals who were also named in the ICC case remain ensconced in powerful positions including Vice President Sara Duterte, and Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Bong Go who are seeking re-election.
