‘Left behind’ families look to ICC for Philippines drug war justice
Al Jazeera
Ferdinand Marcos Jr has shown little interest in helping families find justice, as data shows drug war killings are continuing.
Manila, Philippines — Ephraim Escudero had been missing for five days when a neighbour showed his family a news clipping.
The bodies of two unknown men had been found in Pampanga, about five hours from their home east of Manila in Laguna, but the report contained enough identifying details that the family knew instantly. “It was Ephraim,” said his sister, Sheerah.
“Both [victims] were wrapped with packaging tape around their heads,” Sheerah recalled. “[Ephraim] was hogtied. His hands were behind his back. His feet were tied with plastic and brown packaging tape. He also had gunshot wounds.”
When 18-year-old Ephraim first went missing in September 2017, local police had shown little interest in helping. An investigator in Pampanga acknowledged that Ephraim may have been killed because of the drug war unleashed by then President Rodrigo Duterte, but after the family submitted evidence, “we heard nothing from them,” Escudero said. “They were just fooling around, pretending like they were investigating, but they’re really not.”
Seven years and one president later, Escudero is no closer to finding justice.
