Fil-Canadian groups welcome Duterte’s ICC arrest, call for justice

Protesters in Vancouver City in Canada hold a rally welcoming the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and calling for his conviction. Candles are lit for the victims of Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ and other human rights violations under his six-year rule. Photo by Nestor P. Burgos Jr.

VANCOUVER – Members of progressive Filipino organizations held protest actions in four key cities in Canada over the weekend welcoming the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte and calling for his conviction.

In the western city of Vancouver, around 80 protesters joined a rally led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), Migrante, Gabriela and Anakbayan near the Skytrain station at Joyce-Collingwood, a neighborhood heavily populated by Filipino migrants.

“It is an initial but significant step to find justice for thousands of victims of human right violations. Duterte is not just responsible for killing suspected drug personalities but for many others critical of his murderous regime like human rights defenders, lawyers, unionists, students and leaders of indigenous people’s communities,” said Charm Millares of Migrante – British Columbia (BC).

Photo by Nestor P. Burgos Jr.

The former president was arrested in Manila on Monday based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity in relation to thousands of alleged drug personalities killed in a bloody “war on drugs” campaign. He was flown to The Hague and held at the ICC Detention Centre.

After his initial appearance before the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber, the former president is set to appear again before the chamber on Sept. 23 for the confirmation of charges.

Human rights groups and advocates in Canada have welcomed Duterte’s arrest.

“Solidarity organizations of labour, faith, and social justice in Canada welcome the decision of the ICC to hold former Philippine President accountable for the over 30,000 extrajudicial killings of the poorest and most marginalized, as well as activists and human rights advocates,” said Jeff Solis of the Canada Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights.

Solis said a decision convicting Duterte “would put an international precedent that would begin to end the culture of impunity in the Philippines that allows for human rights abuses to occur.”

During the protest, the names of 20 victims of extrajudicial killings in the so-called drug war were named, and a candle was lit after each name was read. This was followed by a two-minute silence in memory of those who were killed.

Photo by Nestor P. Burgos Jr.

Protesters also joined a rally and candle lighting vigil near the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, and a similar rally was held along Bathurst and Wilson Parkette in Toronto. In Alberta province, protesters joined an online protest action.

“This is a historic moment in the fight against impunity in the Philippines. However, it is merely one step closer to bringing justice for the countless victims of human rights violations, which has only increased under the current administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” according to a statement of BAYAN in British Columbia.

The community organization Filipino BC said many members of the Filipino community “have been directly affected – losing loved ones, experiencing displacement, or fearing for their safety” due to Duterte’s policies.

“For years, Duterte’s so-called war on drugs wasn’t a campaign against crime – it was a war on the poor. His administration’s systematic use of extrajudicial killings devastated countless lives and eroded human rights. The world has now made it clear: state-sanctioned violence cannot be justified as governance. Those who abuse power with impunity will ultimately face justice,” Kristina Corpin-Moser, Filipino BC project director, said in a statement.

“We call on the Canadian government and the international community to continue pushing for human rights, justice and democracy in the Philippines,” she said.

Supporters of Duterte are scheduled to hold rallies in support of the former president in Vancouver and in Surrey City.

Christopher Sorio, Migrante Canada secretary general, said that aside from those killed in the “war on drugs” campaign under Duterte’s rule, around 422 political activists were killed and many others were victims of torture, trumped-up criminal charges and enforced disappearances.

“Migrante Canada welcomes the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte for his crimes against humanity, as do the victims and lawyers who have filed these cases at the ICC,” Sorio said in a statement.

“The arrest of human rights violator Duterte is a victory in the people’s unyielding fight against impunity. It is the start to a trial for the whole world to see, the start to the road to justice, a conviction and the appropriate sentence. The families of the victims and their lawyers continue to hope and keep the faith that they will get justice.”