Philippines: Families of Drug War Victims Seek Justice Through Truth Commission

Manila, Philippines – In a fleeting moment, Luzviminda Siapo was chatting with her teenage son, Raymart. Hours later, relatives sent condolences. Raymart was found dead in a desolate area of their Manila neighborhood, covered in blood, with a gun and a sachet of crystal meth beside him, according to her account.

“I told relatives I wanted to see the evidence. The morgue sent me a photo of Raymart with blood that still looked fresh. At that moment, I could not deny he was gone,” she recounted.

The incident occurred in 2017, at the height of the drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte, when those on watchlists were often killed by police in anti-drug operations or by gunmen claiming to be vigilantes.

Luzviminda was working in Kuwait at the time, and her labor contract did not allow her to return home. For days, she pleaded with her employer to let her go back for one last visit to see her son.

“My boss usually sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. I kissed his feet to have mercy and let me go,” Luzviminda said.

When she returned to the Philippines, she went straight to the village hall. There, she confirmed a neighbor had filed a complaint against Raymart for selling marijuana. Witnesses said Raymart was taken by 14 masked men. They ordered him to run, but he could not because of a foot deformity, so they told him to sit down and then shot him dead.

Truth Commission on the Drug War

Raquel Fortun, a forensic expert at the University of the Philippines, confirmed Raymart was shot at close range. She is examining his remains as part of the work of the Truth Commission on the Drug War – an independent body set up by civil society in May to investigate extrajudicial killings linked to the Duterte campaign.

The government says about 6,000 people were killed, but human rights groups estimate the death toll could be between 20,000 and 30,000. Duterte, who was in power from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2025. He is now detained at The Hague and is on trial for crimes against humanity related to the drug war.

On Friday, the Truth Commission began its public hearings, which are expected to be held regularly over the next few months. Relatives of victims, witnesses, and survivors will testify before audiences watching via livestream. Luzviminda was the first to speak.

In an interview with Al Jazeera days before her testimony, she said she did not expect anyone to be prosecuted, but simply wanted to tell her story. “I just want Filipinos to understand that innocent people were killed, and even those accused of selling or using drugs deserve due process,” Luzviminda said, adding that she believed the police had planted evidence and insisted Raymart was never involved with drugs.

Fortun said the commission is not aimed at prosecution – and does not have the power to do so – but is ready to assist the government and the ICC. “We are looking for information. If courts, whether in the Philippines or abroad, find it useful, they can access it. That is up to them,” she said.

Why Did They Kill?

Several other families of victims also attended Friday's hearing. Among them was Randy delos Santos, uncle of Kian delos Santos, 17, who was killed by police in 2017. Kian's case was one of the few where police were tried for extrajudicial killing.

As in most other cases, police claimed they killed Kian in self-defense. But security footage showed them dragging him through dark alleys and a basketball court before firing three shots. The CCTV video was key evidence that led to a murder conviction.

Randy said the story has more layers that the Truth Commission could shed light on. “We sued them not only for murder but also for planting evidence – the gun and drugs. They were only convicted of murder, but they should have been convicted of all three charges,” he said.

For nearly a decade, both Luzviminda and Randy have asked the same question: “Why did they have to kill my child? They should have investigated first. Or if my son had been jailed, I would have accepted that. But one day someone accuses him of selling marijuana, and the next day he is dead,” Luzviminda said.

Whether the commission can answer these questions or not, both Luzviminda and Randy said being heard is a step toward closure.