Tears disdain as drug war families in Manila watch Duterte at ICC hearing

MANILA - As former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte stated his name for the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 14, a murmur of disdain crept through a cramped room in a Manila church.

Eight women sat watching a video stream of the proceedings, some clutching photos of a husband or son lost to the brutal drug crackdown that was the signature policy of Mr Duterte’s presidency.

The 79-year-old, who was allowed to appear remotely, stands accused of crimes against humanity for the years-long campaign, which rights groups say killed thousands of mostly poor men.

The widows and mothers who gathered thousands of miles away were told beforehand their former president would be required to say little beyond his name.

But Mr Duterte’s name was enough to “cause us fear and disdain”, said Ms Normita Lopez, 60, who could later be heard weeping in the audience. Philippine police shot her son five times for “fighting back”, a phrase used to justify the killings of alleged drug suspects.

The decision to let Mr Duterte appear via video link from his detention centre after his long flight from Manila drew derision from some in the small audience.

“He doesn’t look tired to me,” one woman shouted at the screen.

Boos and jeers accompanied lawyer Salvador Medialdea’s claim that his client’s transfer to The Hague was a “simple kidnapping”.

Ms Sheerah Escudero, whose brother Ephraim was abducted and later found dead during the crackdown, said the fact that Mr Duterte was receiving a trial only underscored the injustice.

“Us, my brother, did we ever get to experience that human right?“ she asked following the screening.

Ms Jane Lee, whose husband was killed in the drug war, said she was barely able to contain her rage at the sight of Mr Duterte’s face.

“When I