A brave woman, known as “Mira,” has traveled all the way to The Hague, Netherlands, to take a big step in seeking justice for her two brothers. They were among the thousands of people killed in the Philippines during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. Now, she wants to be part of the important case against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A Family’s Pain
Mira’s brothers were not criminals, but in May 2017, police mistook them for drug suspects. During a police operation, they were accused of fighting back and were killed. Mira believes this was unfair and wants the world to know the truth.
“I’m here to show that there are real victims,” she said. “There are so many of us. But many are too afraid to speak up.”
Thousands of Victims Left Behind
The ICC, which investigates crimes like these, has been working hard to gather information. In a document sent to the court, they revealed that they had spoken to over 200 representatives of families affected by the killings—representing more than 2,000 victims and over 1,500 families.
However, ICC officials said these meetings were not specifically about Duterte’s case yet. Instead, they were preparing for the legal process by figuring out how victims could prove their identities and share their stories.
Challenges in Proving Identities
A big problem is that many victims’ families do not have proper ID cards. Since the Philippines has not yet fully implemented a national ID system, the ICC asked the court if it could accept other government-issued IDs instead.
Who Can Be a Witness?
Not everyone affected by the drug war will be asked to testify in court. The ICC explained that a witness is someone who provides important information to help the judges decide the case. A witness could be:
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A victim, like Mira.
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An expert, who knows a lot about the topic.
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An insider, like someone who worked in the police or government.
But not all victims will be called as witnesses. The ICC also promised to keep victims’ identities private to protect them from harm.
Duterte Faces Justice
Duterte is being held responsible for leading the violent drug war, which officially led to the deaths of at least 6,000 people in police operations. However, human rights groups believe the real number is much higher—possibly 30,000—because many killings were never recorded.
He is now detained in the Hague Penitentiary Institution, also known as Scheveningen Prison. In September, the ICC will review the charges against him, and Mira hopes that her story, along with many others, will help bring justice.
