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Six urns of alleged EJK victims returned to families in solemn ceremony in Manila

Noel Dumate lies dead on Kabayani Road in Marikina City where several persons riding on motorcycles gunned down five drug suspects in a one kilometer stretch of road. The killing spree happened just an hour after police conducted their own operation, in a serious challenge to the government's anti-crime drive. Fernando G. Sepe Jr., ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Addie Cuadra

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- On Wednesday afternoon, a solemn ceremony was held in a chapel in Sta. Cruz, Manila, to mark the 18th turnover of urns containing the ashes of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) from the Duterte administration’s &quot;drug war&quot;. </p><p>Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, presided over the mass and blessing. During the ceremony, six urns were transferred to the families of the victims. Cristina Jumola, whose son Jay-R was killed in Navotas in 2019 at the age of 21, was among the attendees. In her remarks, Jumola expressed her gratitude for establishing a dedicated memorial site called &quot;Dambana ng Paghilom,&quot; where victims like her son could be commemorated.</p><p>“Sa ngayon po, masaya ako na mayroon na “Dambana ng Paghilom” na paglalagyan ang mga katulad ng anak kong biktima ng ‘war on drugs’,” said Jumola.</p><p>She also called for justice, stating, “Hinihiling ko pa rin na sana makamtan namin ang katarungan, mabugyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima, at makulong ang mga may sala sa pagkamatay nila.”</p><p>Vernita Santiago, mother of Carmelo Santiago Jr., who was shot outside his home in 2020, also voiced her desire for justice. “Sana mabigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ng anak ko kasi mabait na bata lang ‘yun,” she said.</p><p>Danilo Escobar, uncle of Jason Escobar who was also shot and died in 2020, expressed a sense of relief from the establishment of the program. “Maluwag na din po yung aking dibdib,” he said.</p><p>Since 2021, Project Arise, which is a part of the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation’s Program Paghilom, has been dedicated to the retrieval and conservation of the remains of 105 individuals who were victims of the drug war. These individuals&#x27; graves were at risk of being lost due to expired leases. The project involves cremating the remains, placing them in urns, and returning them to the families in a formal ceremony.</p><p>The project aims to provide a permanent and respectful resting place for these remains. The objective was realized with the inauguration of “Dambana ng Paghilom” on May 1, 2024, at the La Loma Catholic Cemetery in Caloocan City. This site serves as the first memorial dedicated to EJK victims in the Philippines. Since its opening, 41 urns have been interred at the memorial.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/healing-drug-war" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Healing the wounds from the drug war</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/war-on-drugs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">War on Drugs: The Unheard Voices</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/the-nightcrawlers-drug-war" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Nightcrawlers, Paghilom, and a Fellowship Forged in Death</a></div>

<p>A solemn ceremony was held in a chapel in Sta. Cruz, Manila, to mark the 18th turnover of urns containing the ashes of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) from the Duterte administration’s drug war. </p>

A solemn ceremony was held in a chapel in Sta. Cruz, Manila, to mark the 18th turnover of urns containing the ashes of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) from the Duterte administration’s drug war.