Philstar
With Duterte at ICC, tokhang survivor seeks justice from Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by families of victims in a drug war case, creating a situation where the alleged mastermind faces international charges while the supposed direct perpetrators cannot be prosecuted domestically.
The case involves the killing of four individuals during a TokHang operation in September 2016, where Efren Morillo, a survivor, provided testimony.
Charges filed by Morillo and the victims' families against the police officers were dismissed by the Ombudsman in 2023.
A division of the Supreme Court later junked the families' appeal in November 2025, despite former President Rodrigo Duterte facing charges at the ICC.
The families have now filed a petition to have the case reviewed by the Supreme Court en banc, arguing that the dismissal leads to an 'absurd' legal scenario.
Their petition highlights the contrast between Duterte's potential accountability at the ICC and the lack of domestic prosecution for those directly involved in the killings.
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