THE arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte upon order of the International Criminal Court ((CC) has yet to sink in among human rights advocates and victims of his bloody war on drugs.
However, there appeared a shared sentiment that even with Duterte now in ICC custody, their search for justice might not end in the very near future.
“Although, we told the families that the ICC is international, but it will take a long time. Yes.
But somehow (it will shed light for justice.)" Rise Up for Life and for Rights Coordinator Rubilyn Litao told Manila Standard.
“You know, on Tuesday, we were surprised. But we know that he should be arrested, he should be punished. But the feeling was, is this it? Because it happened so fast. So, personally, I was thinking for a long time, is it true that Duterte was arrested? So, it took me a while to figure out what to do. And you know, the mothers who reach out to us, their reactions are different," Litao narrated.
The advocacy group led by church members, has long championed justice and peace. Since 2016, their work focused on supporting victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) through documentation, legal aid, and community-capacity building. They emphasize the importance of human rights, rehabilitation, and healing while advocating at the same time for systemic change.
Rise Up collaborates with organizations such as the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) for legal support, and has submitted cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to lack of progress in local courts.
"So, legal assistance is important, especially, and we also had MOA, the free service, because we don't have that. We have MOA with NUPL, particularly with the NCR, the lawyers. So, we also had legal consultation when the families were gathered." Litao added.
An uncle of EJK victim Kian delos Santos chimed in on Duterte’s arrest.
In an interview, Randy delos Santos said he was thankful that justice may soon be at hand for the Duterte drug war victims who were killed without due process.
He also criticized those who claimed that Duterte’s rights were violated when he was turned over to the Interpol and flown to The Hague to face possible trial for crimes against humanity.
“Kian was not read the Miranda rights. Conversely, the apprehension of the former president was complete; with good lawyers around him, he was informed of his rights. That’s the whole process,” Delos Santos added.
Kian’s murder on August 2016 gained nationwide notoriety after CCTV footage debunked police claims that he pulled a gun and fought back, leading to the fatal shooting.
It’s just an opinion, but it’s a small measure of justice, that the Commander-in-Chief, the President who made all these policies like shoot-to-kill, that not only impacted those under the drug war, but activists in the countryside." said Brandon Lee, a survivor of political assassination during the former administration, in a press conference in the United States.
Lee is a Chinese American human rights and environmental activist from San Francisco who moved to the Philippines in 2010 to live and work with indigenous peoples in the Cordillera region.
Lee was shot in front of his home in August 2019, but luckily survived, although his assailants have yet to be held accountable.