Victims of Duterte’s drug war and their lawyer fight back against online abuse

We call on fellow human rights defenders and the public to stand with us and report online abuse. Speak up and stay vigilant!

April 4, 2025

NUPL

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers is a nationwide voluntary association of human rights lawyers in the Philippines, committed to the defense, protection, and promotion of human rights, especially of the poor and the oppressed.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) assisted four relatives of victims of the Duterte administration’s drug war and their counsel, NUPL-NCR Secretary General Atty. Maria Kristina Conti, in formally seeking an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into a coordinated online harassment campaign targeting them.

The attacks—spread widely on Facebook—include doctored images, fabricated narratives, misogynist hate speech, and outright disinformation, all designed to discredit the victims’ families and their lawyer. These intensified after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for former President Rodrigo Duterte.

This harassment reflects the emboldenment of Duterte’s most aggressive supporters—paid trolls and hardline loyalists alike—enabled by a leadership that evades justice and feeds on fear and distortion. By casting legal action as persecution and turning survivors into targets, Duterte’s camp is trying to kill accountability before it can take root.

But we will not be silenced. We will keep pushing back—armed with the truth and backed by a growing movement for justice. We helped pave the way for Duterte’s arrest. We will not stop until justice is done.

We call on fellow human rights defenders and the public to stand with us and report online abuse. Speak up and stay vigilant!

Reference:
Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
NUPL Secretary General
+639174316396

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