For kin of drug war victims, retribution dawns as ICC serves Duterte’s warrant of arrest

Cheers and tears erupted as families of drug war victims under Rise Up For Life and Rights, along with various progressive groups, staged a protest along Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City, to welcome the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest of Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, March 11. 

Duterte was arrested on Tuesday morning upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, by virtue of a warrant of arrest based on alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s implementation of his War on Drugs. 

“I feel overjoyed but at the same time I can’t help but feel sad,” said Emily Soriano, the mother of Angelito Soriano, a 15-year-old victim of extra-judicial killing. “Duterte’s lucky he’s undergoing due process, while my innocent son was long denied of one.”

A mother’s 9 year-crusade for justice

Angelito “Emy” Soriano was 15 years old, then a grade 8 student of Bagong Silang High School, when he and six other individuals were summarily shot by masked men in Barangay 176, Bagong Silang, Caloocan. The incident, dubbed the “7 massacre”, happened on December 28, 2016, six months after Duterte assumed the presidency.

Emily stated that she could still recall the incident even though almost 9 years had passed. “Angelito should have been 24 by now,” she wistfully said. “He should have been in college by now. That was taken away from him and the other victims.”

Turning emotional, Emily recounted finding the body of her son. He was just supposed to be with his friends, partaking in a boodle fight, when masked men entered the house he was staying in and gunned the inhabitants down.

“The police had the gall to tell me my son wasn’t in the house,” Emily fumed. “If I didn’t assert that I work in the barangay, they wouldn’t even let me in.”

The tragedy took a turn for the worse when Emily found out that most of the victims were minors. Witnesses told her that nobody was spared that night. Those who implored the killers to stop shooting because children were inside were shot as well, including a 26-year-old pregnant woman. 

The grief and rage pushed her to seek justice and solace in the company of other families who were victimized by the brutal drug war. Life has to go on, Emily conceded, and she needs to work for her family, but even then she could not bring herself just to accept Emy’s demise. She knew she had to fight for her son’s sake. 

“We may only be poor, that’s true. And they’re rich and influential. But we cannot bring ourselves to rest. We have to fight for justice. If we can’t find it within the country’s justice system, we’ll fight for it in the ICC,” Emily said. 

Yet attaining vindication and justness seems to be a long, drawn-out battle for Emily and the other families. The road to hold those accountable for the drug war was paved with tears and threats to their lives and safety. Despite these, the families trudged on, armed with unity and hope. 

When investigations on the drug war were reopened in the House Quad committee in September 2024, the kin of drug war victims held onto this optimism. Years and years of campaigning for their families’ lives culminated in a series of probes involving the prime suspects and ultimately, the mastermind of the drug war, Rodrigo Duterte himself. 

Emily was among the hundreds of relatives who bared testimonies on the grisly drug war incidents in her community. She remembered sitting late at night during the hearings, forced to endure Duterte’s flippant comments and non-admissions of his crimes. Rage and heartbreak may have prevailed in the halls of Congress that night, but so did resilience and sheer will. 

By December 2024, just before the House of Representatives went into recession, Emily and the rest of the families garnered a small victory after fighting for so long. Results of the quad-committee probe turned in favor of the victims, as the House recommended that criminal charges be filed against Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts for their involvement in the war on drugs.

“We were happy that our stories were heard,” Emily mused. “The fight is not yet over until he is behind bars.”

But three months after the quad committee hearings, it seemed that the families’ crusade for justice finally gained solid ground. On a quiet Tuesday morning in March, Emily received a message detailing that Rodrigo Duterte was accosted in NAIA Terminal 3, by virtue of an arrest warrant handed by the ICC. 

The news shocked her, she said, and she could not help but cry. In a mobilization, Emily stood in front of the crowd. Addressing the families and mass organizations who fought alongside her for justice, she teared up and vowed: “This is only a partial victory, but the fight is far from over.”

What happens next?

Atty. Neri Colmenares, who served as legal counsel for the families of extra-judicial killings, said that the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is a welcome development in the campaign to hold those accountable in the brutal war on drugs. 

“Ideally, Duterte should have been transferred to The Hague, where he will be given the chance to prepare for his defense as he begins the trial,” Colmenares noted. 

Colmenares added that the arrest sent a hopeful message, especially to the families of the victims. 

“His arrest is a victory in itself. This is not just about Duterte anymore, this is about sending a message to all human rights violators. No one is exempt in the long hand of the law. As long as the people continue to fight for justice, it can be attained,” said Colmenares. 

Following the arrest, the trial is seen as the crucial next step. Colmenares explained that for a fair trial to come into place, key witnesses must be ready to come forward with their testimonies.

“This can only be possible if the families of the victims are given the appropriate platform to share their stories. They must be able to testify in the ICC,” he explained.

For Emily and the others, this is a necessary step that they are willing to take. 

“We will not stop until justice is attained. That will only happen when we see Duterte, Dela Rosa, and the other policemen involved in the killings behind bars. They must pay for their crimes,” Emily said. 

Colmenares also highlighted the importance of continuing to clamor for the Philippines’ reinstatement in the ICC.

“The ICC is an important body which can be used to hold those who hold positions of power accountable. The Filipino people should compel the Marcos administration to return and become a member state [of the ICC] to ensure that the slew of killings should not happen again. Becoming a member state also aids victims of human rights violations of any administration to seek redress in the International Court, especially if the perpetrators are key State figures,” Colmenares noted. 

While Emily remains faithful that the Hague will convict Duterte of his crimes, she also acknowledged that justice continues to be elusive even under the current Marcos administration. 

“We will continue to fight. Killings still abound under the Marcos administration. They should also be held accountable for these. We will not cease to campaign in the streets. The sanctity of life must be respected. All people should have the right to due process, it should not just be extended to the rich and powerful. It is the poor people who need this most,” Emily ended. 

*Dialogues are translated and edited for brevity.