by Atty. VJ Topacio and Lean Porquia, sons of EJK victims under Duterte
As elected representatives of the Filipino people, each of you swore an oath to uphold and defend the laws of this nation without fear or favor. These are the same laws that are meant to protect every citizen, including the thousands who were deprived of life and denied justice. Protecting a former leader who has openly admitted to orchestrating and enabling mass killings is a direct betrayal of that oath.
Let us be clear: any individual who confesses to directing and sanctioning murder is a criminal, regardless of their past office. The position they once held does not grant immunity from justice, nor does it erase the lives lost at their behest. For you, as senators, to now shield such an individual undercuts not only our legal system but the very trust that the Filipino people placed in you.
Each day that passes without accountability is a day our legal system is diminished in the eyes of the public. The rule of law was not designed to be selective, nor was it meant to bend for those in positions of power. You were not elected to protect the powerful but to serve the people — to ensure that no one is above the law.
Do not stand complicit. The people are watching, and history will remember where you stood in this moment. You have the power and responsibility to deliver justice, to show that our laws do not yield to title or influence. Do not let your legacy be one of complicity in the face of admitted crimes. Uphold your oath. Uphold justice. Uphold the very spirit of the Republic you represent.