'If Charges Aren't Confirmed, Duterte Returns as a Conquering Hero': Victims' Lawyer Makes Emotional Plea at ICC
Filipino human rights lawyer Joel Butuyan stood before the ICC judges on Monday and delivered one of the most emotionally charged moments of Day 1: speaking on behalf of 497 victims authorized to participate in the proceedings, he warned that if the charges against Rodrigo Duterte are not confirmed, the former president could return to the Philippines "as a conquering hero" — emboldening a culture of impunity that victims say has never stopped.
Butuyan expressed the victims' "very deep disappointment" that Duterte chose not to show up, calling his physical presence in court a "vital component of justice" for families who lost loved ones in the drug war. For these families, many of whom lost husbands, sons, and brothers in poor urban communities, seeing Duterte face them in court was supposed to be the moment they'd waited years for.
The lawyer argued that the ICC is now the victims' last shot at justice, period. He cited statements from former Justice Secretary and now Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla acknowledging the near-impossibility of prosecuting drug war killings in the Philippines due to lack of evidence, documentation, and witness cooperation. Under Philippine law, only the DOJ or the Ombudsman can initiate criminal complaints — institutions Butuyan described as "key institutional gatekeepers" that have failed the victims.
Even with Duterte locked up in The Hague for nearly a year, Butuyan told the court that victims still live in constant fear. Threats and harassment from Duterte supporters continue, and many potential witnesses are too scared to participate. He pointed to the Duterte family's enduring political power — VP Sara Duterte eyeing a 2028 presidential run, other family members holding office in Davao — as evidence that impunity remains deeply entrenched.
Butuyan called for a full trial that would serve as a "truth vaccine" against the misinformation surrounding the drug war, allowing testimony and evidence to create an official historical record. "This is the most bloody period of post-war Philippine history," he told the chamber. For the 497 victims he represents, this isn't just a legal proceeding — it's the last chance for the truth to be told.
Source: The Manila Times
