Let us set the record straight: the conviction of the four Caloocan City police officers is the culmination of a long and arduous struggle for justice within an entrenched architecture of impunity in the Philippines.

Today’s triumph is a comfort to the family of Luis and Gabriel Lois and a sigh of relief for us, the private prosecutors, our clients and friends in Rise Up for Life and for Rights, and others who supported this quest for justice. However, in terms of scale, today’s legal victory is just a footnote in a bloody chapter that has yet to end as bodies continue to pile up until today.

Thank you and we will not fail you as the poor, oppressed and exploited in our society and even in the world need us to be on their side.