THE people have won. Duterte has fallen—not by fate, but by the unyielding power of the people. His arrest is not just the downfall of a dictator; it is the beginning of a reckoning for all who enabled his crimes. For years, the people resisted, fought, and sacrificed. Today, they have won.
Duterte’s rule was one of terror and bloodshed. He was arrested for crimes against humanity, charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the mass murder of thousands of Filipinos under his brutal “war on drugs.” His government sanctioned widespread extrajudicial killings, targeting the poor while shielding those truly responsible for the drug trade. The victims were not criminals—they were workers, parents, and children, slain in their homes and on the streets, denied justice by a regime that glorified murder.
But Duterte’s war did not stop with the drug war. He turned Mindanao into the deadliest region in the Philippines, where Indigenous leaders were murdered, Lumad schools were shut down, and entire communities were driven from their lands. His brutal campaign against the Moro people culminated in the destruction of Marawi in 2017, when relentless bombings and military strikes killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands.
The destruction of Marawi remains a living wound. Today, 160,000 people remain displaced, enduring years of instability. The Marawi Siege continues to affect 80,360 individuals (16,072 families) who have been unable to return home since their forced displacement in May 2017.
The cost of Duterte’s tyranny is staggering—over 30,000 extrajudicial killings were carried out under his so-called “war on drugs,” targeting the poor while shielding the powerful. His militarization of Indigenous lands forcibly displaced 200,000 Lumad since 2010, while over 240 Indigenous leaders were assassinated between 2015 and 2020for defending their communities. His war on education led to the closure of 200 Lumad schools, depriving more than 10,000 children of their right to learn. From 2017 to 2022, 4.4 million people were displaced, with Indigenous communities suffering the greatest losses.
Duterte Has Fallen—And Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte Will Be Next.
Their stolen power is slipping. Their silence will not protect them. Their impunity is collapsing under the weight of the people’s demand for justice. The people have already brought one dictator to his knees, and they will not stop until the entire system of impunity is dismantled.
But Justice Does Not Stop Here.
Duterte’s conviction must follow. The Lumad schools must be reopened. The wrongful conviction of the Talaingod 13 must be overturned. The displaced people of Marawi must be given justice and the right to return home. The entire system that allowed these crimes must be dismantled.
We do not ask for justice—we seize it.
We do not wait for change—we fight until we win. Duterte’s fall is proof that dictators can be defeated, but our struggle is far from over. Now, we fight to dismantle the entire system of impunity. Now, we fight to reclaim what was stolen from the people. Now, we fight for full justice.
SIGNED BY:
Save Our Schools Network Convenors
Prof. Marion Tan
Prof. Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa, RSW
Sr. Concepcion P. Gasang, m.a., EdD