The Duterte Against Families are grieving, seeking justice in the Philippines | Rodrigo Duterte News

Manila, Philippines – It’s been almost eight years since the Cranto brothers and Juan Carlos disappeared one morning in Quezon City, the extended northern district of Metro Manila.

Within a day, their lifeless bodies full of bullets were discovered. But the pain of their brutal murder continued to persecute their mother, Llore PascoDuring all these years.

That morning in May 2017, Cristo, a 34-year-old father of a four-year-old, left his home early to pick up a license to work as a private security guard. Shortly afterwards, Juan Carlos (31), a collector collector with part -time utilities, would follow his brother from their house.

They would never come back.

The day after their disappearance, their mother told Al Jazeera that she and other relatives were shocked when they learned from a television report that her two sons had been killed, which the police had accused of robbery. He has passed a whole week and a huge $ 1,500 fee for Pasco to return the body from the morgue.

Their funerals followed the years of agony as Pasco lived without hope that justice had ever been done.

So, hearing the news of the country’s arrest this week Former President Rodrigo Duterte Through his brutal war against drugs, it was overcome by emotions.

“I felt so nervous and scared, but also excited,” said Pasco, a food salesman and a massage therapist.

“My eyes were filled with tears. Finally, after so many years of waiting, that’s happening. That’s it,” she told Al Jazeera.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), who issued an arrest warrant for Duterte, was her last hope for justice, said Pasco, leading a member of Rise UP for Life and for the rights, a group of mothers and women killed in a drug war in the country.

Pasco said she had “a little hope” that she would find justice for the murder of her sons on the Philippines.

On Tuesday, the International Police Organization (Interpol) served an ICC order against Duterte at Manila Airport, on charges of “crimes against humanity” associated with thousands of murders of suspects and drug dealer during its time in power.

Later on the same day, the Government of the Philippine allowed Duterte to flew to the International Court of Awarf -headed in The Hague.

According to police records, More than 7000 people They were killed in the official anti -Russian operations ordered by Duterte while he was in office from 2016 to 2022.

Human rights groups say the real number of killings could be closer to 30,000, including those killed by armed, some of whom were later hidden police officers.

Duterte arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon, where he was officially Sented ICC competence.

In the midst of criticism and protest from Duterte’s supporters, Filipin President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the arrest of surprise was in accordance with “the obligations of his country according to Interpol”.

Christine Pascual was at work at the hairdressing salon when she heard the news of Duterte’s arrest.

“My client asked me why I was crying while I was doing her hair,” Pascual told Al Jazeera, adding that the memories of her late son, 17-year-old Joshua Pascual Laxan, rushed back at that moment.

“I went through so much anxiety and pain from the moment Joshua was killed by the time I started demanding justice for his death,” she said.

Laxaman, a professional internet player, was on his way home from a tournament in north of the Philippines when police shot him and killed him.

Records showed that he allegedly fired shots at the officers and tried to escape the motorcycle. But Laxaman did not know how to drive a motorcycle, and his family always claimed he had never used drugs or dealt with weapons, as police claimed.

“For years, we have been very disappointed that nothing happens about my son’s case and other cases of out -of -court murder,” Pascual said.

“We were so surprised to hear the news of Duterte’s arrest. We are very happy to have to face us in court now,” she said, admitting that two police officers involved in her son’s death would probably never be prosecuted.

“My family will never be the same because Joshua is gone now,” she added.

‘Unbearable pain’

Luzviminda Siapo, the mother of the second victim of the drug war against drugs, said she felt a sense of relief after learning that Duterte had been taken to The Hague.

“Seeing that Duterte was arrested and taken to the Hague prison, I feel like I had already achieved some justice,” Siapo told Al Jazeera.

“Because of everything he did and for all the deaths he caused, I wonder what he will get in return?”

Duterte should also be grateful that he is only arrested and that he will be assigned a procedure on the ICC – something that has been denied her killed son, Siapo said.

Her son, Raymart Siapo, was only 19 when several masked armed armed armed and shot him twice in the head. His body was left in the village near the Gulf of Manil.

According to the news at the time, Raymart had a dispute with a neighbor, resulting in false charges to the authorities that the teen was involved in the sale of marijuana.

The day after a damn accusation was presented, an unknown suspect came in search of Raymart, forced him to a motorcycle and took him to a neighboring neighborhood, where he was ordered to come down and run for his life.

Born with deformed legs, the teenager did not get far when armed people shot the dead.

“I feel unbearable pain by losing your baby in a drug war,” Siapo told Al Jazeera.

Children as ‘collateral damage’

Members of the family killed in the drug war gathered on Wednesday, during a press conference organized by the Rise UP group and the national union of lawyers.

At the event, Emily Soriano, the mother of the murdered 15-year-old son Angelite, said that, although she was greeted by Duterte’s arrest, she wanted others to prosecute and prosecuted, including those who gave direct orders to perform a police surgery that resulted in the death of her child.

Soriano singled out Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who was once a major police executor during Duterte’s drug war.

Dela Rosa has repeatedly defended the legality of Duterte’s war against drugs. Once famously gave up that the children were killed in crossfire during police operations were “Collateral damage”adding that “Sh ** happens”.

Soriano said Dela Rosa and other police officers were as guilty as Duterte.

“Good for Duterte to assign a procedure. He still enjoys his bed,” she said between tears.

“What about my son who was killed? My son’s remains have been rotting in the cemetery for over eight years.”

Soriano insisted that her son was not a drug user and that he was accidentally in the house targeted by the authorities, which led to his murder.

During this surgery, six more people were killed, including two other teenagers and pregnant women.

“It was a very painful experience to lose a son who is not really a drug addict. There were so many who skipped the conclusions that they were addicted to drugs. But they don’t know the truth, “Soriano said.

Duterte’s anti -Russian policy was also a war against the poor, she added.

Late on Wednesday in The Hague, the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan welcomed the arrest of Duterte, noting that it “means victims” and proves that “international law is not as weak as some may think.”

“When we gather and build partnerships, the rule of law can overcome, the orders can be executed,” Khan said.

Khan also said that his office has been investigating the situation in the Philippines for several years, adding that charges of crimes against humanity also cover these cases committed before Duterte was elected president in 2016, and although he was still the mayor of the southern city.

Khan also emphasized that despite his arrest, “Mr. Duterte is assumed to be innocent.”