Emily Soriano worked laundry this week when a friend rushed to her house with news of their long -standing pursuit of justice.
In December 2016, armed attackers broke into a house in their poor neighborhood north of Manila and started shooting. They killed seven people, including three children and a pregnant woman. Mrs. Soriano and her friend Isabelite Espinos, each lost her son, both teenagers.
Victims’ families, the massacre seemed pointless, such as thousands of other out -of -court killings carried out during the so -called former President of Rodriga Duterte. Mrs. Soriano and Mrs. Espinos have long considered him responsible for the death of his sons – Angelito Soriano, 15, and Sonny Espinosa, 16 – who are said to be innocent.
The arrest of Mr. Duterte on Tuesday, for charges of crimes against humanity, was the main turning point for responsibility, women said.
“What is important to me now is that justice is served,” Mrs. Espinosa said. “And not to let those butchers and tyrant remain in power. We must reciprocate.”
While he was in power, Mr. Duterte publicly encouraged violence, to which a group of law says tens of thousands of dead. He promised immunity to police officers who were targeting people who described the authorities as “drug suspects.” Many were also killed by Vigilants.
Mr. Duterte advocated the presidency of the campaign about his credentials of law and order. He began his deadly antidriga campaign in the city of Daul, where he was a mayor for years and was charged with running the so -called death team.
Between 2001 and 2007, Clarita Alia said four of her sons – all teenagers were charged with small crimes – killed at Mr. Duterte’s order. In the past two decades, she has become a symbol of protest against the murder in Davau, where speaking against Mr. Duterte was once unthinkable.
“I’m happy to be in prison,” Mrs. Alia said. “Now they will feel what the people they hurt are.”
Mr. Duterte was arrested in Manila on Tuesday after the International Criminal Court issued an order accusing him of crimes against humanity. A few hours later he flew to The Hague, where ICC and his detention facilities were based.
It is expected to appear in court for the first time on Friday, according to a court official. But it is not expected that his trial will begin for months.
Three judges wrote in the field that they were presented to them by evidence to believe that they believe that Mr. Duterte was personally responsible for the murders and attacks that were “widespread and systematic”.
Mr. Duterte claimed that ICC had no jurisdiction in the Philippines because he withdrew his country from court while he was president. But in the order, judges wrote that they were watching out of the foreign murder, while Manila was a member of the court. His supporters condemned his arrest and surrender to the ICC as the political persecution of current President Ferdinand R. Marcos Young, Mr. Marcos said that in accordance with the interpola, which was published by the ICC order.
In Davao, the stronghold of Mr. Duterte, the red ribbons calling for Mr. Duterte’s return were exposed in many parts of the city. Some residents stuck his photos on their vehicles in the support exhibition.
Ronald Camino said that only criminals were furious at Mr. Duterte. “Those who do good, they are arrested,” he said.
In the Manila region, Mrs. Espinosa received the news of Mr. Duterte’s arrest in a text message. Soon she and Mrs. Soriano was knocking on the door of neighbors and gathered relatives of other victims of drug war. Six other women joined them hundreds of others that afternoon and lit candles to mark Mr. Duterte’s arrest.
During this gathering, in the nearby city of Quezon, Mrs. Espinosa was crying for her son.
Mrs. Soriano said she was sharing her birthday with Mr. Duterte, who would turn 80 on March 28. “I want to tell him, ‘I’m happy, this is a gift for me. But it is a bad luck for you because you will celebrate your birthday in prison.”
But some of the Filipins fought to process their emotions.
The son of Rodrigo Baylon Lenin killed a stray bullet during a 2016 Caloocan shot, three days before he turned 10.
Celebrating the arrest of Mr. Duterte, said Mr. Baylon, it also meant that he would live that terrible event. At the time, the police chief of Mr. Duterte, Ronald Dela Rosa, who is now a senator, rejected Lenin’s death as a collateral damage in the drug war.
“Is that what they call justice?” Said Mr. Baylon. “And will justice really come from ICC?”
He asked why the foreign court, not the Philippine government, considered Mr. Duterte responsible.
“Should no government help people like us?” Said Mr. Baylon.
Marlise Simons Contribute to reporting from Paris.
