By By Juliane Judilla
Various multi-sectoral groups staged a picket protest in front of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to welcome the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity on Tuesday, March 11.
Led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Panay, the groups demanded justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the administration’s bogus war on drugs, which led to the deaths of over 12,000 to 30,000 Filipinos from 2016 to 2022. Of these, 2,555 killings have been attributed to the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to Human Rights Watch.
The groups highlighted the 30 recorded EJK victims on Panay Island alone. Among them are Bayan Muna Iloilo City coordinator Jory Porquia, Pamanggas council member John Farochilin, and the nine Tumandok chieftains who were massacred by state forces.
MAKABAYAN senatorial candidates Rep. Arlene Brosas, Amirah Lidasan, Mody Floranda, Mimi Doringo, and former Kabataan party-list representative Sarah Elago were also present during the picket and at a press conference afterward.
Current Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Cong. Arlene Brosas cited the case of teenager Kian Delos Santos, who was wrongfully killed and labeled as a drug user by the PNP in 2017. Brosas noted that Kian’s case is just one of the hundreds of children who were victims of the bloody drug war and who have yet to obtain justice through Duterte’s conviction.
“We can no longer bring back their lives, so what happened today is a step forward for justice,” Brosas said.
Moro leader Amirah Lidasan stressed the numerous state-sponsored human rights violations and crackdowns, especially against human rights defenders.
“Martial Law in Mindanao, the dismissal of peace negotiations, which led to a bloody witch hunt against ordinary citizens who were simply fighting for human rights,” Lidasan said.
“Let us not forget the killing of the nine Tumandok leaders in Central Panay who were fighting to protect their land against the construction of the Jalaur Dam,” she added.
BAYAN-Panay Secretary General Elmer Forro also called on the public to continue demanding accountability from Duterte for the crimes he committed and perpetuated. Forro added that Duterte should be persecuted fairly and “rot” in jail.
“It’s not enough for him to just be imprisoned; he should rot in jail to pay for the killings of Jory Porquia, John Farochilin, the Tumandok 9, and other victims of his administration,” Forro stated.
Duterte was arrested by INTERPOL Manila after receiving the official copy of the warrant of arrest from the ICC. The warrant was served morning of March 11, and Duterte was held immediately after arriving in Manila from Hong Kong./PT
