In the Public Square: What about the victims?

“What about the victims?” To ask that question, without additional context, is to invite a counter-question: Which victims? The country and the world have a terrible multitude of victims to choose from: victims of cyber-scams, or of the Persian Gulf war, of flood control corruption, of the invasion of Ukraine, or the genocide in Gaza.

In the last week of February, at the International Criminal Court, precious court time was given to the victims of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.

What does it mean for the ICC to be victim-centric? And is justice truly within the reach of victims of extra-judicial killings or EJKs?

For many Filipinos watching the ICC livestream, one of the most affecting moments may have been when counsel for the victims Joel Butuyan, in his opening statement, described an ICC trial of Duterte as the victims’ “last boat” to justice.

In this episode of In the Public Square, Rappler columnist John Nery is joined by Joel Butuyan. He is one of the three CLRVs or Common Legal Representatives of the Victims appointed in the Duterte case.

Watch the episode on Wednesday, March 11, at 8 pm.-Rappler.com