As proceedings moved forward at the International Criminal Court, lawyers representing families of those killed in the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign argued that intimidation linked to the violence has followed them even outside the country.
During the opening of the confirmation of charges hearing against former President Rodrigo Duterte, common legal representative Joel Butuyan said the atmosphere of fear associated with the drug war has extended to Filipino communities abroad. Addressing Pre-Trial Chamber I, he described how expatriates in the Netherlands have allegedly targeted him, fellow Filipino counsels, and victims’ relatives through online attacks and harassment.
“When we reported to the victims that we, their external legal representatives, feel like fugitives who avoid our own countrymen here in The Hague, because chances are they are Duterte clones, they expressed their utmost concern that if we, their lawyers, feel threatened by mini Dutertes in a foreign country, we should imagine the far more intense fear they live with every day in their communities teeming with mini Dutertes,” Butuyan said in his opening remarks.
The human rights lawyer added that the judges themselves have not been immune from online hostility. “The victims also wish to convey that if the judges of this honorable chamber could be subjected to online harassment by Duterte clones, we should imagine the level of vulnerability the victims are exposed to in their poor villages,” he said.
Butuyan attributed the aggressive online behavior of staunch Duterte backers—often referred to as DDS or “die-hard Duterte supporters”—to what he described as the widespread circulation of disinformation. He warned that victims are uneasy about the potential political resurgence of the former president’s camp, citing Vice President Sara Duterte’s stated intention to seek the presidency in 2028. According to him, families fear the rise of another leader who would continue what he called a culture of impunity.
Outside the courtroom, supporters of the former president also gathered. Elsie Milan, who traveled from Vienna to observe the hearing, said she believed in a future national leadership for Sara Duterte, telling the Inquirer she had a “prophetic dream” of her becoming the President of the Philippines.
In contrast, Sheerah Escudero, one of only two victims who made the trip to The Hague, spoke publicly about what she described as an organized effort to manipulate public opinion. She alleged that the Duterte family financed online operators to “twist narratives.”
“That’s why we don’t want any Duterte leading our country because why would we want a murderer?” Escudero said in a press conference ahead of the confirmation of charges hearing.
“To those who are supporting a murderer, please check yourselves… it’s so frustrating for us, not just for us, but also other Filipinos… please wake up, please hear us, and stop mocking us,” she pleaded.
