3 days ago
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Quoting another mother, “hanggang ngayon, dala-dala ng mga anak naming naulila ang sugat sa sunod-sunod na pangyayari sa aming komunidad (until now, our children who were orphaned carry the wounds of the successive killings in our communities).”
Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault
Swerte pa rin si Digong dahil may warrant of arrest ang International Criminal Court (ICC) laban sa kanya for crimes against humanity; swerte siya dahil dumaan sa proseso ng hustisya at masusing imbestigasyon ang paglabas ng warrant sa kanya; swerte siya dahil may pagkakataon siyang depensahan ang sarili niya sa isang korte; swerte siya dahil magiging matinik ang mga abogadong magdedepensa sa kanya; swerte siya dahil makulong man siya, may mga pribilehiyo pa rin siyang matatamasa bilang isang dating pangulo gaano man ka-brutal ang kanyang pamumuno.” (Digong is still fortunate because he received a warrant of arrest from the ICC for crimes against humanity; he is fortunate that his warrant went through the justice process and serious investigation; he is fortunate that he will have brilliant lawyers defending him; he is fortunate because even if he is incarcerated, he will have the privileges of a former president however brutal his regime was.) Thus expressed a widow of a victim of extra-judicial killings that started in 2016 when former President Rodrigo Duterte came to power.
“Hindi siya tulad ng libu-libong pinapatay nya walang kalaban-laban at inakusahan nalang na tulak o adik, na agarang pinatay sa pamamagitan ng tokhang at hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong depensahan ang kanilang mga sarili sa mata ng batas at hustisya (He is unlike the thousands he ordered killed on accusation of being pusher or addict, who were summarily executed through the War on Drugs or Tokhang, and were not given the chance to defend themselves before the law and justice) ,” said C, the leader of the Organisasyon ng Kababaihang Survivors (OKS) organized by the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific (CATW-AP). “Ito ang proseso at hustisya na pinagkait sa napakaraming biktima ng madugong war on drugs ni Digong (This was the process and justice that was denied from too many victims of Digong’s bloody war on drugs),” the widow added.
CATW-AP assisted 103 women victims and relatives of victims of the War on Drugs under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. Their locations were in Manila, Caloocan, Quezon City and Bulacan, four areas considered to be killing fields being areas of urban poor people while Bulacan is a relocation site for urban poor people. Fourteen prostituted women were raped by the police in exchange for their lives or their partners’ lives. Aside from psychological first aid, CATW-AP sustained a healing program and financial assistance, with the help of private individuals, as government assistance was denied when they approached the agencies.
According to M, who was raped by the police with a promise to release her partner, “ salamat talaga sa mga taong hindi sumuko sa laban (we are very thankful to those who did not give up on the fight for justice).” She said she hopes that Duterte will not be released. Both C and M hope that Duterte’s accomplices, especially within the police force, will be arrested.
Enriquez also expressed hope that the perpetrators’ assets will be frozen so that the victims can be compensated for their years of suffering. Quoting another mother, “hanggang ngayon, dala-dala ng mga anak naming naulila ang sugat sa sunod-sunod na pangyayari sa aming komunidad (until now, our children who were orphaned carry the wounds of the successive killings in our communities),” Enriquez said that the widows and relatives are full of emotions right now.
