Nearly a decade after his son was killed by a stray bullet during a drug war operation in Caloocan, Rodrigo Baylon has finally received a corrected death certificate—marking a small but powerful step toward justice.
Baylon’s son, Lenin, was just days away from his 10th birthday when he was caught in the crossfire on December 2, 2016. According to Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) Inc., the boy had been playing outside when three masked gunmen reportedly opened fire while chasing drug suspects. Two women were also killed and another child wounded.
At the time, Lenin’s family was pressured into signing a waiver stating bronchopneumonia as the cause of death in exchange for the release of his body. Otherwise, they were told to pay P16,000 for an autopsy. The corrected certificate—citing gunshot wound as the actual cause—was granted following a 2022 Court of Appeals ruling, and only issued last week.
“Finally, we were able to obtain the truth. My heart is both happy and sad at the same time,” Baylon said in a Facebook post shared by IDEALS. “He should have been a young man, 18 years old, by now. If only I can bring Lenin back and talk to him so I can tell him that, little by little, we are able to achieve justice.”
Baylon’s lawyer, Mario Maderazo, said the family was too afraid to question authorities at the time. “Of course, at that time, being investigated by the police is terrifying. So, what Tatay Rod said, they just wanted at that moment to bury their child and not be questioned by the police anymore,” he said in an Inquirer.net report.
The legal petition to correct the death certificate was filed through IDEALS, which helps document drug war victims. Maderazo called the case “strategic litigation” meant to encourage other families to come forward despite fears of reprisal. “By not correcting [the death certificates], this becomes part of the revictimization of the families. Their relatives were killed, and even their stories were altered,” he said.
IDEALS is currently handling at least three other similar cases. Maderazo emphasized that accurate documentation could pave the way for future reparations or official recognition. “Otherwise… you foreclose your right to claim compensation or reparation,” he added.
He also noted that such corrections could shed light on possible cover-ups during the drug war under then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
