EJK victims' families say arrest just the first step to justice

THE families of victims killed in former president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs said his arrest was a step toward justice but could never undo the suffering and loss they endured. Duterte was arrested upon arrival in Manila from Hong Kong, where he was met with a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role in alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) committed during his administration's war on drugs. Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people were killed during the drug war, many of them accused without evidence and executed without trial. For the families left behind, the damage has already been done, and the arrest is not enough to make up for what they lost. "At least he was only arrested. Our loved ones were killed on the spot," said Amy Jane Lee, speaking in Filipino. Her husband Michael was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2017. Dahlia Cuartero, whose son Jesus was a drug war victim, said she felt mixed emotions upon learning of Duterte's arrest. "I felt unparalleled happiness today, along with tears of joy over Duterte's arrest," Cuartero said in Filipino. Rise Up, a group advocating for drug war victims, said the arrest should not stop with Duterte. The group demanded accountability for police officers and government officials who carried out the drug war of the previous administration. "We call for Duterte to feel the pain we have endured," the group said in a statement issued in Filipino. "The people will hold you accountable, especially we, the families of the victims. Justice will come for you," it added.