Kin of Duterte drug war victims hope for swift justice at ICC

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, families of the drug war victims witnessed the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte for alleged "crimes against humanity" during his administration.

Jane Lee and Christina Pascual, who both witnessed the brutal killing of their loved ones, hope the trial and ruling of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be swift this time.

And, if called into trial to face the former leader, they said they are ready.

The ICC pre-trial chamber looking into the case of Duterte found reasonable grounds to believe he was "individually responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder" in connection with the killings blamed on his war on drugs. 

“Ang inaasahan ko po talaga ay makulong siya habang iniimbistigahan po siya hanggang sa maging guilty po yung kalalabasan ng imbestigasyon. Yun po kasi talaga yung inaasahan ng mga pamilya ng biktima,” Lee told GMA News Online.

(What I really hope is that he will be detained while he is being investigated until he is proven guilty. That is exactly what the victims' families are hoping for.)

Lee said the ICC should not spare the other actors deeply involved in the war on drugs.

Pascual said families of the drug war killings have endured years of waiting for the results of the ICC case. They wish the trial would not be too protracted.

Lawyer Kristina Conti, ICC assistant to counsel and the representative of the families of drug war victims, had said that the average period of trial in the ICC was eight years while the shortest trial period was two years.

Both Lee and Pascual expressed willingness to stand before the ICC court should they be invited as witnesses against Duterte.

“Kung nararapat pumunta doon bakit hindi po. Willing po (If I’m needed there, why not. I’m willing to go),” Pascual said in a separate interview.

Lee, who leads the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights, said they have yet to discuss the matter of becoming witnesses.

“Just in case na nandun na kami sa step na iyon at kelangan ng family victims, ng mga witness, very much willing na mag testify,” she said.

(Just in case we're in that step where family members are needed to become witnesses, we are very much willing to testify.)

“Kung kinakailangan na ipatawag kami, kung kaya naman namin, magagawa naman ng paraan, bakit hindi? (If it is necessary to summon us, if we can, we will find a way, why not?),” she added.

She added that they are now just observing how the case will unfold and what Duterte’s lawyers will do to bring him back to the Philippines.

In 2018, relatives of victims and Rise Up filed a complaint against Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity. 

Killings

Lee lost her husband in 2017 when a riding-in-tandem shot him in Caloocan City.

She narrated that during that time, her husband, a jeepney driver, was waiting for his jeepney unit at a terminal.

“May mga nakakita kasi intersection yun, terminal ng jeep, pero walang may gustong tumulong. Gusto ko talaga makapag kaso,” Lee said.

(There were witnesses because they were in an intersection, in a jeepney terminal, but no one wanted to help.)

She added that arranging the documents was also difficult as she did not know who to approach.

“Kanino kami lalapit? Kanino kami unang magtatanong? Sa police ba or sa DOJ. Eh parang wala silang kasimpa-simpatya sa mga family victims kaya, ayun, hindi kami nakapag kaso,” she said.

(Who do we approach? Who do we ask first? The police or the Department of Justice. It seems they have no sympathy for the victims' families, so we did not file a case.)

Meanwhile, Pascual lost her son Joshua in 2018 when he was shot and allegedly tortured by police personnel in Pangasinan.

The police who encountered Joshua in Pangasinan told her that he allegedly resisted or initiated aggression (nanlaban), engaged in a chase while driving a motorcycle, and was found to have illegal drugs in his possession.

However, Pascual said her son could not even ride a bike.

She narrated that her son and two other teenagers were on their way to Baguio for an e-games tournament when one of them returned to Tarlac as they were running out of money to continue, but Joshua and their other companion pushed through with their travel.

“Nababahala na ako kasi uso noon yung tokhang napapanood ko sa TV,” Pascual said, adding that she was unable to contact Joshua for three days.

(I was worried because I watched news about tokhang on television.)

After reporting that his son was missing, Pascual received the news of her son’s passing from the Pangasinan police.

Pascual said Joshua’s companion remains missing.

“I was hysterical at the sight of my son at the morgue. I hugged him tight," she said.

Contrary to the first autopsy that stated Joshua was only shot, Pascual said her son suffered from a hemorrhage and fractured bones, based on the second autopsy that was conducted in Manila.

Administrative charges filed against the Pangasinan police were dismissed by the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service, the Ombudsman, and the Supreme Court.

A surreal moment

Pascual was working in a salon on Tuesday when she received news from her friend that Duterte was arrested.

“Na-chat sa akin tapos hindi muna ako agad naniwala,” Pascual said. “Eh pagalawa, pangatlo na. Nakita ko na rin yung post nila. Nung nangyari na yun, talagang ang saya," she said.

(My friend chatted me, but at first, I did not believe it, but when I checked the second and third time and saw posts about it, I was really happy.)

“Nabigla din kami pero masaya kasi yung akalain namin hindi matutupad, natupad,” she added.

(We were surprised but we’re happy since what we thought was impossible came true.)

Lee was also working when she saw reports of Duterte’s arrest.

“Very unexpected sa amin na naibalita na naaresto siya (the news of his arrest was unexpected),” Lee said.

However, Lee was still in limbo until news that the plane carrying Duterte took off to the Netherlands.

“Parang nabunutan na kami ng tinik. Sa wakas hindii lang yung naaresto, kung hindi, naalis siya dito sa Pilipinas at nadala siya doon,” Lee said

(We were relieved. Finally, he was not only arrested but also left for the Netherlands.)

Expressing her happiness, Lee described Duterte’s arrest as “a victory” for the families of war on drugs victims since it is a “much-awaited moment” for them.

“Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala na dadating yung ganitong sandali na maaresto siya kasi ang tapang niya at marami siyang supporters. Hindi namin inaasahan na makikipag cooperate yung gobyernong Marcos sa interpol,” she said.

(I could not believe that this moment would come since he is brave and has a lot of supporters. I also did not expect the Marcos administration to cooperate with Interpol.)

Do not be afraid

According to Lee, there are families of war on drugs victims during the Duterte administration that have just recently reported to Rise Up, noting there are those who wish to keep silent due to fear.

“Wag silang matakot kasi yung katotohanan lang naman yung sasabihin nila. Sana maisip nila na lumabas na rin dahil ito na yung panahon kung saan mabibigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga families na ipakita talaga at patunayan meron talagang nangyari malawakan patayan,” Lee said.

(They should not be afraid because they will only tell the truth. I hope they realize that this is the time when the families will be given the opportunity to  show and prove that there was a mass killing.)

Amid their sad stories, Pascual told other families of war on drugs victims to just fight, pray, hug each other.

Meanwhile, Duterte's children filed separate petitions for the return of their father.

"Napakalaki ang pagkakaiba sa pagitan ng mayamang makapangyarihan at mahihirap. Dahil sila dumaan sa tamang proseso. Napakabait pa seserve sa kanila ng warrant samantala yung mga pamilya ng biktima alam nila na araw gabi may pinapatay sa looban ng bahay sa labas, may nakakita man o wala," Lee said.

(There is a gap between the powerful, rich people and the poor. They go through the process while families of the victims know that day and night someone is being killed whether or not they are inside their homes, whether or not someone witnesses it.) 

"Sana naiintidhan din kung ano yung nararamdaman at karanasan naming trauma kung bakit kami umaapila. (I hope people understand what we feel, the traumatic experience we went through, and why we are seeking justice)," Lee added. —LDF, GMA Integrated News