Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

Carlos Trazo

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782918077292viber_image_2026-07-01_22-27-57-507.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — Exactly a decade since “Project Double Barrel” — the code name for the  drug war launched by former President Rodrigo Duterte that left more than 6,000 &quot;drug personalities&quot; dead in law enforcement operations — families of victims of extrajudicial killings joined artists, journalists, academics, lawyers, church groups, and human rights defenders to launch Dekada ng Sama-samang Pag-alala, Pagkakaisa para sa Hustisya (A Decade of Collective Remembrance, Unity for Justice).The launch at Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City featured a solemn candle-lighting ceremony led by surviving families of the drug war.Human rights groups, faith-based communities, and legal organizations stood alongside them, underscoring a shared demand for accountability.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/24/icc-trial-chamber-wants-rodrigo-duterte-to-appear-in-sept-7-status-conference-1202">ICC judge expects Duterte to attend Sept. 7 status conference</a></div>Organizers drew a stark historical parallel, likening July 1, 2016, to September 21, 1972, when Proclamation 1081 institutionalized Martial Law. “July 1 stands as the foundational date of a decade of state-sanctioned violence and impunity,” the coalition declared. “This day signals 10 years of grief, mourning, resistance, and most importantly, the journey from family-victims to survivors.”The program opened with a performance by documentary theater group RESBAK (RESpond and Break the Silence Against the Killings), dramatizing the lived experiences of victims’ families. The event also welcomed the journalist and author of Some People Need Killing, who visited to stand in solidarity with survivors. Fr. Flavie Villanueva, known for his ministry to EJK victims, led a prayer marking the anniversary, calling for justice.The coalition emphasized its principle: “Every Filipino deserves due process. That was never negotiable.” It urged the public to reflect on “the voices, time, dignity, and futures that were taken — and on our collective responsibility to uphold due process, accountability, and human worth.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/23/amid-high-public-interest-icc-judge-issues-warning-to-counsels-vs-media-statements-1734">Amid high public interest, ICC judge issues warning to counsels vs. media statements</a></div>The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) issued a searing statement, marking the day Duterte became president.“Then the slaughter started. The so-called war on drugs made killings of thousands of suspected drug users and small-time pushers, many from poor and marginalized communities,&quot; it said.&quot;Many lost their lives without due process. Behind the statistics are grieving parents, widows, orphaned children, and communities left to bear the enduring trauma of violence.”The NCCP condemned the culture of impunity fostered by Duterte and his allies, adding that abuses extended to activists and human rights defenders through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.The church group welcomed the ICC’s arrest of Duterte for crimes against humanity but warned that “his co-accused, including the fugitive Sen. Bato, remains at large.” It also noted that killings continue under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., citing more than 1,200 drug-related deaths documented by the Dahas Project.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/6/icc-registry-sets-digital-workflow-redaction-rules-for-duterte-trial-0214">ICC Registry sets digital workflow, redaction rules for Duterte trial</a></div>“Such is the legacy of the Duterte presidency,” the NCCP declared.“Ten years after the beginning of the so-called ‘war on drugs,’ our vigil continues. We will continue to stand with the bereaved, defend the oppressed, and proclaim that every human life is sacred because every person bears the image of God.”The coalition’s DEKADA program will run until December 2026, featuring exhibitions, film screenings, discussions, and public interventions both online and in-person.Organizers said the initiative is meant to move beyond narratives of violence and spectacle, centering instead on the humanity of those affected.“Grounded in remembrance, we hold steadfast to justice — because the fight for accountability is the fight for our nation’s future,” the coalition declared.

Exactly a decade after “Project Double Barrel”, or also known as the infamous drug war launched by former President Rodrigo Duterte, families of victims of extrajudicial killings joined artists, journalists, academics, lawyers, church groups, and human rights defenders to launch DEKADA.

Exactly a decade after “Project Double Barrel”, or also known as the infamous drug war launched by former President Rodrigo Duterte, families of victims of extrajudicial killings joined artists, journalists, academics, lawyers, church groups, and human rights defenders to launch DEKADA.

Families of drug war victims, human rights advocates mark a decade after Duterte’s drug war

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Families of drug war victims, human rights advocates mark a decade after Duterte’s drug war

Carlos Trazo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 01, 2026 11:26 PM PHT

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