- 4 hours ago
The counsel for families of alleged extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims presented detailed accounts of the alleged fatal incidents during the confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court involving former president Rodrigo Duterte.
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00:00Madam President, Your Honours.
00:03We speak today on behalf of a thousand of victims and surviving families
00:09who have suffered immeasurable harm under the so-called anti-drug campaign
00:15conducted during the administration of a suspect, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
00:23We speak for families who cannot be here,
00:27mothers who buried their sons, children who lost their parents,
00:34the spouses who now raise families alone,
00:38and communities that have lived for years under fear and silence
00:43and that continue to bear the consequences of violence
00:46that swept through their neighbours like a storm.
00:51These victims appear today before you,
00:54not as mere statistics or distant figures
00:58or images in report as pictured yesterday by the defence,
01:04but as human beings whose rights under the Rome Statute
01:08have been violated in the most profound ways.
01:13These proceedings relate to what has been labelled
01:17the Duterte's war on drugs and Duterte's bloody war on drugs.
01:23However, the campaign, as I will refer to it during my presentation,
01:28was less about combating the drug trade itself
01:32and more about policy in poverty and social inequality.
01:39As the evidence on the record unequivocally shows,
01:44individuals targeted by Mr. Duterte anti-drug operations
01:48overwhelmingly came from impoverished communities
01:52where social mobility is limited and opportunities are scarce.
01:59drug use, particularly methamphetamine locally known as shabu,
02:06is often more prevalent in such low-income settings
02:10where people may turn to substances as a coping mechanism
02:14for their harsh living conditions.
02:17In these communities, structural conditions,
02:22including the absence of adequate mental health services,
02:25limited access to quality education,
02:29scarce employment opportunities,
02:31and the chronic stress associated with poverty,
02:35create an environment in which substance use
02:38is more likely to emerge.
02:42Therefore, patterns of drug use do not arise in a vacuum
02:46that reflect deeper systemic inequalities
02:50and long-standing patterns of socio-economic marginalisation.
02:57The campaign disproportionately affected the poor and marginalised,
03:03especially in urban informal settlements,
03:07marked by high levels of poverty.
03:11While the rhetoric of war focused on eradicating drug dealers and users,
03:18it was the most vulnerable members of society,
03:21those with the least power and resources
03:23were caught in the crossfire.
03:31A significant number of the ones killed
03:35had little or no criminal history
03:38and were often accused of minor drug-related conduct
03:42or perceived drug use by the authorities.
03:46These were people living in poverty,
03:49were treated as expandable by a system,
03:52but failed to prioritise their protection
03:54and to address the structural conditions
03:57underlying their struggles.
04:00Rather than addressing the root causes of drug addiction,
04:04such as poverty, lack of education,
04:08unemployment and inequality,
04:11the Duterte administration framed the issue as a criminal one,
04:15focusing on punitive enforcement over social responses.
04:20Mr. Duterte's response was a selective, violent crackdown
04:25of the most vulnerable,
04:27recasting conditions of marginalisation
04:30as grounds for criminal targeting,
04:33rather as manifestations of social injustice.
04:38Framed on its face as a campaign against illegal drugs,
04:43it in reality reflected broader social-political dynamics,
04:47including the targeting of marginalised communities,
04:51the use of state violence,
04:53and the deflection of attention
04:55from deeper structural problems.
05:03Mr. Duterte is charged,
05:05under Article 7.1a of the Rome Statute,
05:09with the crimes against humanity of murder
05:11and attempted murder,
05:13allegedly committed between 1st November 2011
05:17and 16th March 2019,
05:20in or around Davao City,
05:23during the period in which he was mayor of the town,
05:26and across the Republic of the Philippines,
05:29during his term as president of the country.
05:34The prosecution presented ample evidence
05:37showing that each of the contextual elements
05:41of crimes against humanity
05:43is satisfied at the required threshold
05:46for confirming the charges.
05:49During the period covered by the charges,
05:52the Davao Death Squad and the National Network
05:55created by Mr. Duterte to commit the crimes,
05:59carried out an attack
06:00against the civilian population
06:02within the meaning of Article 7.2a of the Statute,
06:08as reflected in a course of conduct
06:10involved with the commission of multiple murders
06:13and attempted murders.
06:16The victims' accounts of events
06:19corroborate the prosecution evidence
06:22and show that the crimes they suffered
06:25were not spontaneous or isolated acts of violence,
06:29but rather a plan,
06:31directed and organized attack against them.
06:36The attack was massive,
06:39carried out collectively with considerable seriousness
06:42and directed against a multiplicity of civilians.
06:47The victims were all civilians.
06:50The repeated lethal operation
06:52were conducted in residential
06:54and other civilian settings.
06:57As already indicated,
06:59the victims largely came from marginalized communities,
07:02were suspected by the authorities' involvement
07:05in criminal, often drug-related activities,
07:08and together with their families,
07:10they were targeted in their homes and neighborhoods.
07:18The attack was widespread and systematic,
07:22and we refer, Yerono,
07:24to annex D and E
07:25of the prosecution pre-trial brief.
07:29The attack was widespread
07:31because of its large-scale nature
07:33and the number of victims.
07:36In this regard,
07:37the number of victims affected by the events
07:40within the charges
07:41is one of the most relevant factors
07:44to be taken into consideration
07:46for the purpose of determining
07:48under the chapeau of Article 7.1 of the Statute
07:52whether the attack was widespread or systematic.
07:57The broad geographical spread of the victimization
08:00combined with a significant number of victims
08:03confirm the wide scope of the attack.
08:08As the prosecution has made clear,
08:10yesterday and today,
08:13the instances of murders
08:15and attempted murders
08:16in the document containing the charges
08:18and in the pre-trial brief
08:20are simply illustrative
08:23of a much broader pattern of victimization.
08:28In fact,
08:30the actual scale of victimization
08:32extends well beyond
08:33the 49 incidents affecting 78 victims
08:38presented by the prosecution.
08:42The prosecution itself
08:44referred to thousands of civilians' murder
08:47and we recall here
08:49the content of paragraph 73
08:51of the prosecution pre-trial brief
08:53as well as the remarks by Ms. Croft
08:56just 15-20 minutes ago.
09:02As reported by Human Rights Watch
09:05in a report published on 2022,
09:08since 2016,
09:10the Philippine police
09:12have admitted its involvement
09:13in the death
09:14of more than 6,200 people
09:17in drug raids
09:19across the country.
09:21In a 2020 report,
09:24the United Nations Office
09:25of the High Commissioner
09:26for Human Rights
09:27reported 8,663 deaths
09:33occurred in the drug war.
09:36The Human Rights Commission
09:38of the Philippine
09:39and Domestic Human Rights Group
09:41report death tolls
09:44that are two to three times higher
09:47than the UN figure.
09:53The attack
09:54was also systematic,
09:57well planned
09:57and well executed
09:58following a standard
10:00modus operandi.
10:03In many cases,
10:04it began
10:05with an individual
10:07receiving a visit
10:08or a phone call
10:09from an official
10:10from the local barangay
10:12informing them
10:13that they were
10:14on a drug watch list
10:16drawn up
10:17by barangay officials
10:18and the police.
10:20In practice,
10:22these visits function less
10:23as warnings
10:24but as a means
10:26of confirming
10:26the identity
10:27and whereabouts
10:28of the intended target.
10:31As one victim reported,
10:33I quote,
10:35a barangay official
10:37told my husband
10:38to surrender to the police
10:40because he was
10:42on the watch list
10:43as a drug user.
10:45He had given up
10:46drug use
10:47months earlier
10:48so he didn't go.
10:51Two weeks later,
10:54three armed masked men
10:55wearing bulletproof vests
10:57arrived at our home
10:58in Manila
10:59and uncaffed him.
11:02I could hear
11:03my husband
11:04begging for his life
11:05from outside the room.
11:07We were crying
11:09and the other armed men
11:11threatened to kill us
11:13as well.
11:15Moments later,
11:16my husband
11:17was shot dead.
11:19End of quote.
11:23Survivors,
11:24relatives,
11:24and neighbors
11:25consistently recount
11:27that armed men
11:28typically work
11:29in group of two,
11:30four,
11:31or a dozen.
11:33They wore either
11:34police uniform
11:35or civilian clothes,
11:37often all black,
11:39with their face
11:40concealed by
11:41balaclava-style
11:42edger,
11:43mask,
11:44baseball caps,
11:45or helmets.
11:48They carried handguns.
11:51As one victim
11:52explained,
11:54and I quote,
11:58on 6th June 2017,
12:01at about 9.45
12:03in the evening,
12:04I was at home
12:05with my husband
12:06and our children
12:08were sleeping upstairs.
12:11Four unidentified men
12:13wearing helmets
12:15and bonnets
12:16arrived at home
12:17looking for my husband.
12:20They broke down
12:21the front door.
12:23I started begging them
12:25to spare the life
12:26of my husband.
12:28The man
12:29pushed me away.
12:31My husband
12:32was shot in the chest
12:33and fell
12:34face down.
12:36While lying
12:37face down,
12:39he was shot
12:40five more times
12:41in the nape
12:42and head.
12:44The children
12:45woke up
12:46terrified
12:47because of
12:48the gunshots.
12:49End of quote.
12:52Attackers
12:53frequently traveled
12:55by motorcycle,
12:56typically with
12:57two individuals
12:58on a single bike.
13:00Often a van,
13:02invariably
13:03white or black,
13:05and at times
13:06bearing markings
13:07associated with
13:08police vehicles
13:09was also present.
13:12The bank on doors
13:14embarked
13:15into rooms.
13:16The attackers
13:17did not identify
13:18themselves
13:19or provide
13:20warrants.
13:22Family members
13:23report hearing
13:25beatings
13:25and their loved ones
13:26begging for their lives.
13:29And I quote again
13:31from the recollection
13:32of one of the victims.
13:34Five masked
13:36armed men
13:36broke into
13:38our house
13:39in Bulacan province
13:40where my father
13:41was playing cards.
13:43We could see him
13:45kneeling
13:45in a surrendering
13:46position.
13:48The men
13:49grabbed him
13:50and slammed him
13:51into a concrete
13:52wall
13:52several times
13:54and then
13:55just they
13:56threw him
13:57outside.
13:58We saw
13:59the shooting.
14:00We were just
14:01there.
14:03My father's face
14:04was bleeding
14:04from being
14:05hit
14:05and he was
14:06begging them
14:07for mercy
14:08when he was
14:09shot.
14:11End of quote.
14:15Another victim
14:16explained
14:17quote
14:18my father
14:20collapsed
14:21to the floor
14:21but still
14:22tried to move
14:22begging for his life
14:23yet the man
14:25continued
14:26shooting him.
14:27I couldn't
14:28count
14:29how many
14:30times
14:30I was
14:31so afraid.
14:33We also
14:34heard successive
14:35gunshots
14:35from outside.
14:37Later
14:38we found
14:39that also
14:40two of our
14:41neighbors
14:41were killed.
14:44End of quote.
14:46The shooting
14:47could happen
14:48immediately
14:49behind closed
14:51doors
14:51or in the street
14:52or the victims
14:54would be taken
14:54away by the
14:55gunman
14:56only for shots
14:57to be heard
14:58minutes later
14:59and the body
15:00to be discovered
15:01by local
15:02residents.
15:04At times
15:05bodies
15:06were dumped
15:07elsewhere
15:07sometimes
15:09with hands
15:10tied
15:10or heads
15:11wrapped
15:11in plastic.
15:14Relatives
15:15typically
15:15found them
15:16after being
15:17alerted
15:18by policemen
15:19or by
15:19the neighbors.
15:26A victim
15:27recalled
15:28quote
15:30six masked
15:31armed men
15:32broke into
15:33the house
15:33where a small
15:34group including
15:35several teenagers
15:36were watching
15:37television.
15:39The men
15:40arrested
15:41and beat
15:41two young boys
15:42they believed
15:43were drug
15:43suspects
15:44and then
15:45took them
15:46away
15:46on motorcycles.
15:50A half
15:50hour later
15:51after hearing
15:52from a
15:53uniform
15:53policeman
15:54we
15:55referring
15:56to the
15:56relatives
15:56rushed
15:57to a nearby
15:58bridge
15:58to find
15:59their bodies
16:00both with
16:01gunshot wounds
16:02to the head
16:03their hands
16:04tied with
16:04cloth.
16:06The gunmen
16:07were still
16:08at the scene
16:08while uniformed
16:10police
16:10cordoned off
16:11the area.
16:15Another
16:16victims
16:16recounted
16:17quote
16:19a week
16:20after his
16:20brother
16:21was
16:21killed
16:22ten
16:23police
16:23officers
16:24some
16:24in
16:24civilian
16:25clothes
16:25arrested
16:26my
16:26other
16:27son
16:27and took
16:28him
16:29to the
16:29local
16:30barangay
16:31office.
16:33That evening
16:34masked
16:35armed men
16:35abducted him
16:36from the
16:37barangay
16:37office.
16:38Shortly
16:39afterwards
16:39his body
16:40was found
16:41under a
16:42bridge
16:42a block
16:43away.
16:45When we
16:45found him
16:46we saw
16:47that his
16:47entire
16:48head
16:48had been
16:49wrapped
16:49in
16:49packing
16:50tape
16:50and his
16:52hands
16:52had been
16:52tied
16:53behind
16:53his
16:54back.
16:56He
16:56had been
16:56shot
16:57execution
16:58style
16:59through
16:59the
17:00mouth.
17:01End of
17:01quote.
17:06And
17:07another
17:07one
17:09quote
17:09the
17:11body
17:11seemed
17:12like
17:12it
17:13was
17:13just
17:13thrown
17:14out
17:14the
17:15nails
17:15were
17:16removed
17:16one
17:17eyeball
17:18was
17:18missing
17:18stuffed
17:20by
17:20cuddle.
17:21End of
17:22quote.
17:25Relatives
17:26and
17:26witnesses
17:27often
17:27saw
17:28uniform
17:28police
17:29in
17:29the
17:30immediate
17:30surroundings
17:31of the
17:31incident
17:32securing
17:33the
17:33perimeter.
17:35Special
17:36crime scene
17:36investigators
17:37typically
17:38arrived
17:39within
17:39minutes.
17:41In
17:42numerous
17:42cases
17:43an
17:43unregistered
17:44.38 or
17:45.45 caliber
17:46gun and
17:47a packet
17:48of Shabu
17:49were found
17:50placed
17:50beside the
17:51body.
17:53And
17:54instead of
17:54fleeing from
17:55the police
17:55the gunmen
17:57would mingle
17:58with them.
18:00As one
18:02of the
18:02victims
18:02described
18:03I quote
18:05on 7
18:06June
18:062018
18:07in the
18:07morning
18:08I was
18:09at home
18:09where I
18:10saw my
18:10son
18:11coming
18:11back
18:11from
18:12his
18:12work
18:12on
18:13the
18:13opposite
18:14side
18:14of
18:14the
18:14street.
18:17Suddenly
18:17I
18:18saw
18:18eight
18:19policemen
18:20three
18:21in
18:21uniform
18:21and
18:22three
18:22in
18:23civilian
18:23clothes.
18:25Two
18:25of
18:25them
18:26crossed
18:26the
18:26street.
18:28They
18:28took
18:28my
18:29son
18:29and
18:30banged
18:30his
18:30head
18:31against
18:31the
18:31wall.
18:33They
18:33accused
18:34him
18:34of
18:35selling
18:35shabu.
18:36He
18:37denied.
18:38He
18:38was
18:38then
18:39taken
18:39to
18:39the
18:39door
18:39of
18:40the
18:40house.
18:41He
18:41was
18:41shouting
18:42Mama
18:43help
18:44me.
18:45I
18:46took
18:46a
18:46piece
18:47of
18:47wood
18:47and
18:47it
18:48one
18:48policeman.
18:49Suddenly
18:50one
18:51policeman
18:51pointed
18:52the
18:52gun
18:52against
18:53my
18:53son.
18:54He
18:55shot
18:55twice
18:55at
18:56the
18:56head
18:57and
18:57at
18:58the
18:58chest.
18:59While
19:00in
19:00shock
19:00I
19:01saw
19:01one
19:01police
19:02officer
19:02placing
19:02four
19:03packets
19:03of
19:03shabu
19:04and
19:04a
19:05gun
19:05around
19:06the
19:06body
19:06of
19:07my
19:07son.
19:08End
19:09of
19:09quote.
19:10The
19:11same
19:11account
19:12of
19:12another
19:12victim
19:13who
19:13simply
19:13recall
19:14after
19:15the
19:15shooting
19:16of
19:16my
19:16son
19:16who
19:17was
19:17only
19:1819
19:19uniformed
19:20police
19:20showed
19:20me
19:21his
19:21body
19:21in
19:21the
19:22house
19:22and
19:23the
19:23.45
19:24caliber
19:24hand
19:25gun
19:25next
19:26to
19:26his
19:26body.
19:28I
19:28told
19:29them
19:29that
19:30my
19:30son
19:30could
19:30not
19:31afford
19:31and
19:31did
19:32not
19:32possess
19:32a
19:32gun
19:33and
19:34therefore
19:34could
19:35not
19:35possibly
19:35have
19:36attempted
19:36to
19:36shoot
19:37at
19:37the
19:37police.
19:39I
19:40said
19:40he
19:40cannot
19:40even
19:41pay
19:41the
19:41rent
19:41his
19:42sister
19:43paid
19:44the
19:44rent
19:44for
19:44him.
19:48End
19:49occasions
19:50on
19:50victims
19:50were
19:51still
19:51alive
19:51when
19:52found
19:52by
19:52relatives
19:52and
19:53taken
19:53to
19:53the
19:53hospital
19:54where
19:55they
19:55later
19:55succumbed
19:56to
19:56their
19:57injuries.
20:03Survivors
20:04recount the
20:05terror and
20:06enduring
20:06feeling
20:07of still
20:07being
20:08hunted
20:09as
20:09follows
20:10and I
20:11quote
20:13in
20:13September
20:142016
20:15a
20:16police
20:16officer
20:17pretending
20:17to be
20:17a
20:18commuter
20:18boarded
20:19my
20:19tricycle.
20:20He
20:21asked me
20:22to pass
20:22by the
20:23police
20:23station.
20:25There
20:26I was
20:26stopped
20:27by a
20:27group
20:27of
20:27men
20:28who
20:28turned
20:28to
20:28be
20:29police
20:29officers.
20:31I
20:32was
20:32taken
20:32to
20:33the
20:33precinct
20:33beaten
20:34and
20:35forced
20:36to
20:36reveal
20:36the
20:36identity
20:37of
20:37drug
20:37pushers.
20:39I
20:40didn't
20:40know.
20:41Later
20:42the
20:42evening
20:42I
20:43was
20:43taken
20:44to
20:44a
20:44dark
20:44place
20:45and
20:45shot
20:46multiple
20:47times.
20:49Despite
20:50the
20:50injuries
20:50I
20:51managed
20:51to
20:51escape
20:52and
20:52save
20:52my
20:52life.
20:54I
20:55still
20:55have
20:55the
20:55consequences
20:56of
20:56injuries
20:56and
20:57I
20:57feel
20:58deep
20:58sadness
20:58anger
20:59and
20:59fear
21:00of
21:01being
21:01catch
21:01again.
21:03End
21:04of
21:04quote.
21:06Another
21:07survivor
21:08explained
21:11quote
21:12they
21:13killed
21:13my
21:13four
21:13friends
21:14kneeling
21:14and
21:15defenseless.
21:16I
21:17heard
21:17a
21:17barrage
21:17of
21:18gunshots
21:18voices
21:19and
21:20one
21:20officer
21:21saying
21:21let
21:22it
21:22be.
21:23Let's
21:24say
21:24they
21:24fought
21:24back
21:25and
21:25let's
21:25leave
21:25the
21:25evidence.
21:28I
21:28lay
21:28next
21:29to
21:29one
21:29of
21:29my
21:29friends
21:30pretending
21:30to
21:30be
21:31dead.
21:32When
21:32the
21:33armed
21:33officer
21:33left
21:34a
21:34crowd
21:35out
21:35of
21:36the
21:36room
21:36and
21:37headed
21:37towards
21:38the
21:38edge
21:38of
21:38the
21:38ravine.
21:40Holding
21:40my
21:40chest
21:41with
21:41one
21:41hand
21:42to
21:42stop
21:42the
21:42bleeding
21:43I
21:43slid
21:44downwards
21:44and
21:45fell
21:45to
21:46the
21:46creek
21:46bed.
21:47I
21:48crossed
21:48it
21:49climbed
21:49the
21:50hill
21:50on
21:50the
21:50other
21:50side
21:51and
21:52walked
21:52toward
21:53the
21:53highway.
21:55There
21:56I
21:56encountered
21:57someone
21:57I
21:58knew
21:59and
21:59desperately
22:00begged
22:00for
22:01help.
22:01End
22:02of
22:02quote.
22:07Before
22:07the
22:07charges
22:08concerned
22:08only
22:09the
22:09crimes
22:09of
22:10murder
22:10and
22:10attempted
22:11murder,
22:12victims'
22:13accounts
22:13also
22:13revealed
22:14widespread
22:14acts of
22:15torture,
22:16ill-treatment
22:17and rape.
22:19Young
22:20people were
22:20particularly
22:21exposed to
22:21torture and
22:22cruel
22:22human
22:23treatments,
22:24including
22:24unlawful
22:25arrest.
22:27a
22:28number
22:28of
22:28victims
22:28participating
22:29in
22:30these
22:30proceedings
22:30were
22:31minor
22:32when
22:33they
22:33were
22:34attempted
22:34to
22:35be
22:35killed
22:35and
22:36a
22:36number
22:36of
22:37victims
22:37participating
22:38in
22:38the
22:38proceedings
22:39recount
22:40the
22:40killing
22:40of
22:41their
22:41nephew,
22:42son,
22:43cousin,
22:44who
22:45was
22:45under
22:4518
22:46at
22:47the
22:47age
22:47of
22:47killing.
22:51And
22:52this
22:52morning
22:52Mr.
22:53Jeremy
22:54provided
22:55the
22:55example
22:56of
22:56Kian
22:57de
22:57Los
22:57Santos
22:57who
22:58was
22:5817
22:58at
22:59the
22:59time
23:00of
23:00his
23:00killing.
23:02Reported
23:03force of
23:04torture
23:04include
23:04beating,
23:05kicking,
23:06slapping,
23:08blows to
23:08the head,
23:09electrocution
23:10and death
23:11threats.
23:13On
23:14several
23:14occasions
23:14law enforcement
23:15officials
23:16use
23:16arrests,
23:18inclusion
23:18in the
23:19drug
23:19watch
23:19list
23:20and
23:20drug
23:20related
23:21accusations
23:21as a
23:22tool
23:23of
23:23coercion
23:23to
23:24perpetrate
23:25rape
23:25and
23:26other
23:26forms
23:26of
23:27sexual
23:27violence.
23:29In
23:30September
23:302018,
23:32a young
23:32boy was
23:33taken by
23:34the police
23:34and brought
23:35to the
23:35precinct.
23:37His
23:37mother
23:38recounted,
23:40I
23:40quote,
23:46at
23:47the
23:47precinct,
23:48he was
23:48repeatedly
23:49coerced
23:50into
23:50confession
23:51a crime
23:51he was
23:52accused
23:53of.
23:54If
23:55you don't
23:55admit,
23:56your life
23:56will be
23:57the prize,
23:58they
23:58threatened
23:58him.
24:00When he
24:01refused to
24:01confess,
24:02he was
24:02beaten with
24:03a gun
24:03and
24:04electrocuted.
24:06on
24:07on the
24:07night of
24:0716
24:08September
24:082018,
24:09between
24:10nine
24:10and
24:11ten,
24:11I
24:12received a
24:13phone call
24:13from my
24:14cousin,
24:15urging me
24:16to go
24:16in a
24:16certain
24:17location
24:17in
24:18Manila.
24:20What I
24:21saw
24:21was a
24:22nightmare.
24:24My son
24:25had been
24:26discarded
24:26like an
24:27animal,
24:28his
24:29lifeless
24:29body lying
24:30on the
24:30boulevard,
24:31abandoned
24:32like a
24:32fish by
24:33the
24:33road
24:33side.
24:35I rushed
24:36to the
24:36scene,
24:37but I
24:37was blocked
24:38by the
24:38police.
24:39I was
24:40not even
24:41allowed to
24:41touch or
24:42embrace
24:43my son's
24:44body.
24:46Even in
24:47death,
24:47my son
24:48was not
24:49treated with
24:49dignity.
24:51It was
24:51like they
24:52just threw
24:52my son
24:53out like
24:54a pig.
24:55I
24:56finally found
24:57him at
24:58the funeral
24:58home,
24:59where I
25:00had to
25:00pay to
25:00recover
25:01the
25:01body.
25:02I
25:03had
25:03nothing.
25:04I
25:05was
25:05bargaining
25:06as if
25:07I
25:07were
25:07buying
25:07fish.
25:09In
25:09the
25:09end,
25:10I
25:11paid
25:11approximately
25:1245,000
25:13pesos to
25:14take my
25:14son's
25:15body for
25:15burial.
25:16Now,
25:17I
25:18wonder,
25:19will
25:19justice
25:20ever be
25:21served?
25:22Excuse
25:22me,
25:23counsel,
25:23you have
25:23five
25:23minutes
25:24left.
25:33official
25:34police
25:34reports of
25:35these
25:35incidents
25:36invariably
25:37invoked
25:38self-defense
25:38to justify
25:40the killings,
25:42despite
25:42eyewitness
25:43accounts that
25:44portray the
25:44killings as
25:45cold-blooded
25:46murders of
25:47an armed
25:48individual.
25:49To bolster
25:51their claims,
25:52the police
25:52routinely planted
25:53gun,
25:54spent ammunition,
25:55and drug
25:56packets beside
25:58the bodies.
26:00While
26:01these
26:01official
26:02accounts
26:02contrasted
26:03markedly
26:04with the
26:04ones provided
26:05by the
26:05relatives,
26:07they were
26:07notably
26:08consistent
26:09among
26:09themselves,
26:11typically
26:11characterized
26:12the
26:12incidents
26:13as
26:13by-bust
26:14anti-drug
26:15operation,
26:16differing
26:17little
26:17besides
26:17the
26:18names,
26:18places,
26:19and
26:20dates.
26:22The
26:23victim
26:23was
26:23invariably
26:24described
26:24as a
26:25dealer
26:25who
26:26attempted
26:26to sell
26:26to
26:27undercover
26:27officers
26:28conducting
26:28a
26:28by-bust
26:30operation.
26:33Specialized
26:34local
26:34anti-drug
26:34units,
26:35called
26:35station
26:36anti-illegal
26:37drug
26:37special
26:38operation
26:38task
26:39units,
26:40were
26:40usually
26:40involved.
26:42According
26:43to the
26:43reports,
26:44the
26:44victim,
26:46after being
26:47put under
26:47arrest,
26:48often
26:48uncaffed,
26:50allegedly
26:51pulled out
26:51a weapon
26:52and sought
26:53to shoot
26:53the police.
26:55In
26:56every
26:56case,
26:57the
26:57victim
26:57was
26:58killed
26:58and
26:59none
26:59of
26:59the
26:59arresting
27:00officers
27:00were
27:01armed.
27:02In
27:03most
27:03cases,
27:03the
27:03police
27:04reported
27:04that they
27:05found
27:05shabu
27:05on or
27:07near the
27:07victim's
27:08corpse
27:08and
27:09sometimes
27:09a gun.
27:12Often,
27:13after the
27:14killing,
27:15the bodies
27:15of the
27:16victims
27:16were brought
27:16directly to
27:17the
27:17funeral
27:18parlors.
27:20Families
27:20then had
27:21to start
27:22their
27:22cavalry
27:22to find
27:24the body
27:24of their
27:24loved
27:25ones
27:25and they
27:26had to
27:26pay high
27:27fees to
27:28retrieve
27:28the bodies.
27:32R-500A2-25
27:34had to
27:36sell the
27:36house to
27:37be able to
27:38pay for
27:38their
27:39brother's
27:39funeral
27:39and
27:40barrier.
27:43Sometimes
27:44the bodies
27:45were instead
27:46left on
27:46the street
27:47or thrown
27:48into the
27:49water
27:49in a
27:50plastic
27:50bag.
27:54There's
27:56a
27:58house to
27:58home.
27:58The
27:59house to
27:59house to
27:59house to
27:59The
28:01house to
28:02have to
28:02to
28:02a
28:02lift
28:02pay
28:02the
28:02house to
28:02make
28:02the
28:02house to
28:02the
28:02house to
28:02the
28:02house to
28:02the
28:03The
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