Father fights years to correct son's death certificate in drug war

Rodrigo Baylon received a corrected death certificate for his son Lenin, who was killed in 2016 during President Duterte's drug war.

Lenin's original cause of death was listed as bronchopneumonia due to financial constraints and fear of harassment from authorities; however, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun revealed in 2022 that Lenin died from a gunshot wound.

With the help of lawyers from IDEALS, Rodrigo Baylon fought for nearly a decade to correct Lenin's death certificate, which was finally issued more than two years after the Court of Appeals ordered its correction in November 2022.

Dr. Fortun’s autopsy of at least 46 cases indicated that victims had died of gunshot wounds instead of natural causes listed on their certificates.

Lawyer Ansheline Bacudio from IDEALS emphasized that while this is a significant step forward, broader issues of accountability remain unresolved for many victims' families.