'Bakit Kami Maaawa?' — Drug War Victims' Families Finally Feel Heard as Duterte's ICC Hearing Wraps Up
After nearly a decade of grief, fear, and waiting, the families of drug war victims finally felt something they hadn't in years: relief. The four-day ICC confirmation of charges hearing against former President Rodrigo Duterte concluded Friday at The Hague, and for the victims' loved ones who traveled all the way to the Netherlands, it was the first time their pain was officially recognized.
Llore Pasco, whose two sons were killed during the drug war, had no sympathy for Duterte sitting in a prison cell. "Noong nag-utos siya na patayin ang mga mahal namin sa buhay, wala namang awa doon," she said. "So bakit kami maaawa ngayon na andito na siya sa korte?" She recalled how victims' families were treated like numbers — stripped of dignity while Duterte denied ordering any killings.
Pasco said the prosecution's arguments during the hearing revived the families' hope. "Nabuhayan kami ng loob kasi binangga ng prosecutor iyon na talagang pabor sa aming mga biktima," she said. "Na-satisfy kami, pero maghihintay pa rin tayo sa desisyon ng korte."
Sheera Escudero, sister of another victim, said the families finally felt seen and heard. "Para sa amin, talagang na-echo nila ang boses namin. Na-retell nila ang stories ng mga pamilya," she said. She also noted the enormous sacrifice it took for families to even get to The Hague — from fundraising for travel expenses to enduring the long journey, timezone adjustments, and climate changes. Some family members even got sick.
"Maraming taon na naming ito hinintay," Escudero said. The Pre-Trial Chamber will now decide whether to confirm the charges and send the case to full trial. For the thousands of Filipino families who lost loved ones during the bloody drug war, this moment — however long overdue — was the closest they've come to justice.
Source: GMA News
