Impunity under Marcos: Defending

Duterte at the expense of drug war victims

'Lawmakers should be making laws for the people, not enabling and protecting mass murderers
of people,' says human rights lawyer Kristina Conti, who has assisted drug war victims' families

MANILA, Philippines – Fidel* finally found the body of his son Jon* after two weeks, already
cold in a morgue that refused to grant an autopsy. His body was discovered near the boundary
of Quezon City and Caloocan, meticulously wrapped in black trash bag – a common theme
among vigilante-style killings in Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines.

“‘Pinako sa ulo ang anak namin, pinahirapan siya na walang kalaban-laban at walang
awa,” Fidel recalled to Rappler. “Hindi mo maisip kung sinong may kayang gumawa sa tao
ng ganito.” (They hammered a nail into his head, he was mercilessly tortured. You cannot
imagine what kind of person would do this.)

His son was with friends when they were allegedly abducted by police in civilian clothing,
according to information that reached Fidel. He was sure Jon did not use drugs, but it doesn’t
matter now because he still ended up dead, among the thousands slain in Duterte’s war on
drugs.

“Noong nabalitaan ko na pulis ang nasa likod ng nangyari, hindi na kami dumulog sa
kanila kasi naunahan na kami ng takot,” he said. (When we found out that police were
involved, we didn’t seek their help anymore because we got afraid.)

The reality of losing their eldest son was yet to sink in when Fidel started getting death threats.
You’ll be next, the text messages read, you’ll join your son. This forced him to leave and stay
in a place hours away from his still-grieving family. Fidel was only able to go back home after
40 days, to a family grappling with questions of why a tragedy of such intensity happened to
them.

“Magbalak man ako na makakuha ng hustisya, wala akong lakas ng loob, kaya iyak na
lamang ang ginagawa namin,” he said. (Even if I wanted to, I do not have the strength to
pursue justice, so we can only cry.)