Families of Rodrigo Duterte's drug war victims in Caloocan City are closely following the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, demanding accountability for her alleged role in the drug war and other issues.
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article. National Bureau of Investigation Special Agent John Mark Calilung testifies during the second day of the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte on July 7, 2026.
Families who lost their loved ones to Rodrigo Duterte's controversial drug war are closely following developments at the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte MANILA, Philippines – Families of Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war victims in Caloocan City joined calls to hold Vice President Sara Duterte accountable as her impeachment trial began on Monday, July 6. The mother of a drug war victim joined Rise Up for Life and for Rights in the protest organized by progressive groups outside the Senate to call for Duterte’s conviction, and also to demandPanalangin na makita ang katotohanan at malaman pa ng mas maraming bilang ng mamamayan: Ano ba talaga ‘yung paraan ng pamumuno ng mga Duterte?
Kailangan silang mapanagot sa korupsyon, sa katiwalian, at sa mga paglabag sa karapatan ng mamamayanYung kanilang pamamaraan ng pamumuno ay nakakapangamba dahil talagang walang paggalang sa karapatan ng mamamayan, walang paggalang sa batas ,” Litao added for her alleged death threats against Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez; alleged misuse of confidential funds; unexplained wealth; and alleged bribery of public officials.
From their homes in Caloocan, three people who lost family members to Duterte’s drug war hoped that the Senate impeachment court would convict the Vice President, which would bar her from ever holding public office. ” in the city.
“We will hunt and crack down everyone who is associated with drugs. We will not stop until we completely diminish drugs in Caloocan,” Malapitan said in a Facebook post dated June 13, 2016, following his reelection for a second term. He mirrored the stance of the popular then-presidential elect Rodrigo Duterte, who won on a platform of ending crime in three to six months, a promise he never fulfilled during his presidency. JUSTICE FOR LENIN.
Rodrigo Baylon touches the tarp bearing the image of his late son, Lenin Baylon. Photo by Eunicito Barreno/Rappler Lenin Baylon was only nine years old when he was killed by a stray bullet in Camarin, Caloocan, in the early days of Duterte’s drug war. He was in a computer shop when motorcycle-riding men targeted two suspected drug users in the shop.
His death certificate facilitated by police initially cited Six years later, the Court of Appeals upheld the petition of Lenin’s father, Rodrigo, affirming that his son died due to gunshot wounds. is a first step toward justice, much still needs to be done as the perpetrators of Lenin’s death remain scot-free. For now, Baylon said he would move forward while seeking justice for his son, but he will never forget.
When asked about his thoughts on the Vice President’s impeachment trial, Baylon said he wanted Filipinos to see and recognize the lapses of the past leadership, apparently referring to the Duterte presidency, so that the latter’s abuses would not be repeated. Baylon said Filipinos should closely follow the impeachment trial and hoped that they too would see the importance of the proceedings and learn from it. He is also hoping that Sara would be convicted.
Though they lived in the same community, Emily Soriano and Gretchen Espinosa didn’t know each other until they lost their sons to the drug war. Their shared pain made them very close friends and brought their quest for justice from the streets to the halls of Congress. COMMON BOND. Emily Soriano and Gretchen Espinosa walk along an alley in Bagong Silang to show the house where their sons were killed by unidentified men.
Photo by Eunicito Barreno/Rappler On December 28, 2016, Angelito Soriano and Sonny Espinosa were hanging out in a house near their homes in Bagong Silang, Caloocan, when they were Like Lenin, Angelito and Sonny’s perpetrators have yet to be held accountable nearly a decade after their deaths. While responding to questions about the ongoing impeachment trial, Soriano noted that the Vice President not only kept silent but continued to support her father’s drug war despite the abuses and the mounting deaths of innocent civilians.
” Soriano said. REMEMBERING ANGELITO.
Emily Soriano displays photos of son Angelito inside her home in Bagong Silang Caloocan. Photo by Eunicito Barreno/Rappler In the affidavit he submitted to the International Criminal Court in the crimes against humanity case against Rodrigo Duterte, self-confessed hitman and former Davao Death Squad member Arturo Lascañas alleged that Sara implemented Oplan Tokhang in Davao City when she was mayor.
The Vice President categorically denied this.led to at least 6,252 deaths in police operations between July 1, 2016, and May 31, 2022, according to government data. Human right groups estimate that number to be between 27,000 to 30,000 to include victims of vigilante-style killings. Rodrigo Duterte himself admitted that his drug war was a failure in 2019, the middle of his term. For now, life goes on for Soriano and Espinosa.
Soriano said she has not healed yet, but she has to be strong for her other eight children. Espinosa shared the same sentiment, saying her other children need her guidance. For the families of the victims, the former president’s trial at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, and the Vice President’s impeachment trial are steps towards justice.
They also said their fight for justice and accountability continues, may it be in the comfort of their homes, under the scorching heat of the sun in the streets, and even inside the air-conditioned halls of power. On the part of Rise Up for Life and for Rights, Litao urged the impeachment senator-judges to side with the truth. She said all those involved in government corruption must be held accountable.
She also made an appeal to other families of drug war victims to reach out to their group so that their documents and accounts related to Duterte’s drug war can be recorded. –
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