Relatives of victims from the Duterte administration’s drug war, along with their legal representative, lawyer Maria Kristina Conti of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), have sought an official investigation from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into a wave of coordinated online attacks targeting them.
According to NUPL, the widespread social media attacks include doctored images, fabricated narratives, misogynist hate speech, and outright disinformation that intensified after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The group’s members believe these attacks are a deliberate effort to undermine both the victims’ families and their lawyer in order to silence their call for justice.
“This harassment reflects the emboldenment of Duterte’s most aggressive supporters—paid trolls and hardline loyalists alike—enabled by a leadership that evades justice and feeds on fear and distortion,” the NUPL said.
“By casting legal action as persecution and turning survivors into targets, Duterte’s camp is trying to kill accountability before it can take root,” it added.
The group, however, is resolute in its stance, urging the public and fellow human rights defenders to remain vigilant and report any form of online abuse.
“We will keep pushing back—armed with the truth and backed by a growing movement for justice. We helped pave the way for Duterte’s arrest. We will not stop until justice is done,” the NUPL concluded.