'Drug war victims' pursuit of justice not over'

THE National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) said the pursuit of justice for the victims of the war on drugs under former president Rodrigo Duterte continues, after the conviction of four Caloocan City police officers over the deaths of a father and son in 2016.

Guesting in The Manila Times' Reel Times, NUPL National Capital Region (NCR) Secretary-General Kristina Conti said the conviction is just a «drop in the bucket» when compared to the thousands of lives lost during the anti-drug campaign between 2016 and 2022.

«It's not yet done, actually, for all I know, it's just starting… it had three known prosecutions, there are 6,252 dead from official police operations; that would be up to 30,000 killed in the context on the war on drugs in the Philippines, and this is just a drop in the bucket,» Conti said.

«The government said they are investigating some cases… still this is just few, so the fight is not over,» she added. «What's important is that we realize that these victims are people, are Filipino, and they deserve mercy, due process, and our sympathies, as well.»

Based on the NUPL's assessment, the conviction of the four policemen last Tuesday is the only drug war-related case that the group has won among the 200 cases it has filed.

«On the part of the NUPL, only four [convictions]… this is the only case that we have been able to put forward after careful consideration of up to 200 cases of killings. That's how difficult to file a case in the tokhang [drug war] killings, and the work that we provide, pro bono as it is, is dedicated already to these kinds of incidents, extrajudicial killings related to the War on Drugs,» Conti said.

She said there are no other domestic drug war cases that are ongoing for the NUPL, but they are seeking other avenues in helping more victims of human rights violations.

The NUPL also partnered with the church group «Rise Up for Life and For Rights» in helping gather victims and giving psychosocial and nonmaterial support to their families.

«It's a group of church workers who were initially approached because of the urgent need of the victims,» Conti said.

The Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 121 convicted the