Mother Hopes Duterte's Arrest Brings Justice for Son Killed in Drug War

Mother's Hope for Justice

• 💔 Christine Pascual wept upon hearing of former Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte's arrest, seeing it as a step towards justice for her son, Joshua Lamana.
• 🎯 Joshua was killed in 2018 during a police operation as part of Duterte's War on Drugs, an initiative that claimed thousands of lives.

Circumstances of Joshua's Death

• ❓ Police reports claim Joshua shot at officers after ignoring a checkpoint, but his mother believes he was mistaken for a criminal due to his game-related tattoos.
• ⏳ Christine Pascual only learned of her son's death a week after he went missing, noting he suffered six gunshot wounds and was allegedly killed while riding a motorbike, which he did not own.

Duterte's War on Drugs and Accountability

• 📈 Duterte's War on Drugs, a key campaign promise, resulted in an official count of 6,200 suspects killed by police, though activists suggest the true toll is much higher.
• ⚖️ While Duterte has taken responsibility for the killings, he denies leading a systematic murder campaign and claims he only instructed police to act in self-defense.
• ✊ Christine Pascual, who moved to Manila in 2019 to support her other children and joined victim justice movements, hopes Duterte's arrest will lead to accountability.
• 📌 She emphasizes that true justice will only be served when the police officers who killed her son are arrested, not just Duterte.

International Criminal Court Proceedings

• 🌍 Rodrigo Duterte is the first former Asian head of state to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• ⚠️ Prosecutors accuse him of crimes against humanity for allegedly orchestrating a systematic attack on the civilian population during his presidency.