As Duterte cries ‘old, frail,’ threats persist vs drug war victims’ kin in Cebu

2026-02-24 - 06:53

CEBU, Philippines – “Dapat iapil mog patay tanan (You should all be killed),” netizen Alfredo Munio wrote in the comments thread of Rappler’s social media post of a gathering of drug war victims, their families, and human rights advocates in Cebu City on Monday, February 23. In the same thread, netizen Joseph Mendoza said, “Adik patayin (Kill the addicts).” The gathering, led by the National Union of People’s Lawyers and rights groups Rise UP, Karapatan, and Hustisya, was held at the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Center for Development Education and Training in Cebu City. The groups conducted a watch party of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) pre-trial hearing to confirm the charges of crimes against humanity against former president Rodrigo Duterte. WATCH PARTY. Families of drug war victims and concerned rights advocates watch the first day of the International Criminal Court’s confirmation of charges hearing against former president Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Jacqueline Hernande/Rappler There, families recollected how they lost their loved ones to Duterte’s drug war which saw the implementation of the Oplan Tokhang (knock and plead) in towns and cities, mostly in impoverished areas. Many of the families shared that even after the former president was detained at The Hague in the Netherlands since his arrest in March 2025, they still receive threats and intimidation. The comments thread of