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Duterte at ICC: Drug war victims’ families begin to see ‘light of justice’
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Shouts of “Duterte, panagutin” and “Justice for the victims of Duterte’s crimes” echoed outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the eve of the confirmation of charges hearing against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Protesters, including families of alleged drug war victims, gathered in front of the ICC building to demand accountability over killings linked to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
“What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd repeatedly chanted, as they held photographs and personal belongings of their slain loved ones.
Duterte is facing three counts before the ICC:
- First count: 19 murders in Davao
- Second count: 14 murders of so-called high-value targets
- Third count: 45 murders and attempted murders allegedly constituting crimes against humanity
Families said the hearing signals a long-awaited step toward justice after years of grief and uncertainty.
Among those who spoke was Llore Pasco, who lost her two sons, Crisanto Antonio and Juan Carlos, during the Duterte administration's so-called war on drugs, which saw thousands of mostly poor Filipinos killed in the streets without due process. Holding up one of her son’s belongings, she addressed supporters and the international community.
“Parehas naman tayong matanda pero ako hindi nagsasawa, hindi pa ako napapagod hanggat makamit namin ang hustisya para sa lahat ng mga biktimang pinaslang,” she said.
(We are both old, but I am not tired, not until we get justice for all of the victims who have been killed.)
Pasco said she never imagined they would reach a point where international justice would take up their cause. She likened their struggle to the weather today in The Hague.
“Pero ngayon, tulad ng araw—kanina ang ulan, ngayon nagpakita ang araw—ibig sabihin nakikita na po namin ang liwanag ng hustisya,” she said.
(A while ago it was raining, but now the sun has come out. We are also now beginning to see the light of justice.)
She appealed to Filipinos, overseas workers, and the international community to continue supporting their call, acknowledging that the process is difficult and lengthy but insisting they will not grow tired.
Sheerah Escudero, who lost her 18-year-old brother Ephraim in 2017, traveled from the Philippines with the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights to witness the proceedings.
Recalling the trauma of searching for her brother, she described how he was found lifeless, bearing signs of violence, after he had disappeared.
“He was found with his head covered with packaging tape, his head dotted with bullet wounds, his hands hogtied, and his legs tied as well, dumped on a patch of grass. That's how we found my brother," she said.
"But before that, he also went and disappeared. Police just found him. He was dumped 100 kilometers away from our place. So, we experienced a lot of pain and trauma looking for my brother until we found him lifeless.”
Despite the pain of retelling their story, Escudero said they chose to stand before the ICC to prove their loved ones were real and that their stories are not fabricated.
Escudero said the ICC represents a “glimmer of hope” for families who felt left in the dark for years. She expressed hope that the confirmation of charges would proceed and eventually lead to a full trial and conviction.
Other groups present, including human rights advocates and fellow relatives of victims, shared testimonies and poems, reinforcing the demand for accountability and justice for the thousands allegedly killed in the drug war.
For them, the confirmation of charges hearing is more than a legal proceeding—it is a step toward what they call long-delayed justice. — BM, GMA Integrated News
