Families of Philippine drug war victims seek ICC justice as Duterte trial looms

Mary Ann Pajo watched quietly as cemetery workers opened her son’s tomb in Manila this week and removed his body for examination by a forensic pathologist.Accused of dealing drugs, 30-year-old Joewarski Pajo was shot dead while playing a game on his phone, one of thousands of extrajudicial killings alleged to have taken place under former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.A hearing begins at the International Criminal Court on Monday that will determine whether Duterte will stand trial over at least 76 of those deaths.“This hearing is what we have been waiting for,” Father Flavie Villanueva said after saying a prayer over Joewarski’s remains, the 126th body his non-profit group has exhumed as potential evidence.“It is important that [Duterte] faces the court in person, physically, for us to see if there is remorse on his part,” said Villanueva, a fierce critic of the former president’s so-called drug war.Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech ahead of the midterm elections on February 13, 2025. Photo: ReutersHowever, the hope that Duterte would appear in person disappeared on Friday when ICC judges ruled that the octogenarian could waive his right to attend the hearing.