Filipino priest exposes ex-Philippine president Duterte's war on drugs with traveling museum
With barely two weeks before former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), a Filipino priest is visiting schools and offices with a mobile museum dedicated to exposing the “atrocities of Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.”Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, himself a reformed drug dependent, founded last year ‘Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom’ (Traveling Museum for Healing), dedicated to the memories of those killed under the Duterte regime. The museum exhibits artefacts, images and narratives by families of extrajudicial killings (EJK) during the Duterte presidency.The exhibit shares the loss, realities and resistance against the nationwide operation that killed tens of thousands of Filipinos that Duterte admitted to having ordered as centrepiece of his government’s so-called 'peace and order programme'.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.An item in the exhibit includes a bloodied shirt of three-year-old Myca Ulpina, killed when the police raided their home on suspicion that a family member was a drug dependent.“To remember the victims by name, by story, by the fullness of their humanity—is to declare that the victims were not statistics, not collateral damage, not disposable,” Fr. Villanueva said."Memory protects truth when lies become louder," said Fr. Flaviano Villanueva (far right) at the opening of the exhibit at the Philippine Senate last December'Truth over lies'“Memory protects truth when lies become louder… Memory keeps us from building a future on erasure,” he added at the opening of the exhibit at the Philippine Senate last December. The museum has since been in schools, church parishes, even in the halls of Philippine Congress to varying kinds of reception.Duterte supporters, however, dismiss the museum as mere black propaganda against the former president. Social media post about the museum are deluged with comments demanding that a similar museum should also be set up for victims of violence committed by drug dependents.Duterte supporters argue that the victims of the drug war have no meaningful contributions in society and do not deserve such tributes as a museum. Pro-Duterte netizens suggest that the museum is being mounted to exonerate Duterte’s successor and current president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is alleged by his own sister, Senator Imee Marcos, as an illegal drug user himself.Confirmation of chargesEmotions generated by the travelling museum, on social media or street-corner debates, are expected to reach fever pitch as Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing fast approaches on February 23.Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022, was detained in Manila on March 11 and taken to the ICC prison at Scheveningen, near The Hague. He appeared very weak, barely speaking, when he made his first court appearance by video.A cutout of an image of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte behind bars during a rally in Manila last yearDuterte was arrested March last year and is awaiting trial by the ICC at The Hague, the Netherlands. He faces charges of crimes against humanity stemming from his anti-drug war that human rights groups peg to as many as 30,000 victims.One of the charges against the former Philippine president concerns 19 murders committed between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte was mayor of Davao City. A second relates to 14 killings of alleged drug bosses in 2016 and 2017, when he was president. The third covers 43 killings of suspected low-level drug users or dealers.Duterte denied authorising extrajudicial killings but openly threatened to kill drug suspects and encouraged authorities to open fire if suspects resisted arrest. Those orders allegedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings by police of mostly poor drug suspects, according to Amnesty International.Former Philippine president Duterte to remain in detention at the HagueThird impeachment complaint filed against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Ex-Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte to face ICC hearing on February 23: Court
With barely two weeks before former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), a Filipino priest is visiting schools and offices with a mobile museum dedicated to exposing the “atrocities of Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.”
Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, himself a reformed drug dependent, founded last year ‘Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom’ (Traveling Museum for Healing), dedicated to the memories of those killed under the Duterte regime. The museum exhibits artefacts, images and narratives by families of extrajudicial killings (EJK) during the Duterte presidency.
The exhibit shares the loss, realities and resistance against the nationwide operation that killed tens of thousands of Filipinos that Duterte admitted to having ordered as centrepiece of his government’s so-called 'peace and order programme'.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
An item in the exhibit includes a bloodied shirt of three-year-old Myca Ulpina, killed when the police raided their home on suspicion that a family member was a drug dependent.
“To remember the victims by name, by story, by the fullness of their humanity—is to declare that the victims were not statistics, not collateral damage, not disposable,” Fr. Villanueva said. "Memory protects truth when lies become louder," said Fr. Flaviano Villanueva (far right) at the opening of the exhibit at the Philippine Senate last December
'Truth over lies'
“Memory protects truth when lies become louder… Memory keeps us from building a future on erasure,” he added at the opening of the exhibit at the Philippine Senate last December. The museum has since been in schools, church parishes, even in the halls of Philippine Congress to varying kinds of reception.
Duterte supporters, however, dismiss the museum as mere black propaganda against the former president. Social media post about the museum are deluged with comments demanding that a similar museum should also be set up for victims of violence committed by drug dependents.
Duterte supporters argue that the victims of the drug war have no meaningful contributions in society and do not deserve such tributes as a museum. Pro-Duterte netizens suggest that the museum is being mounted to exonerate Duterte’s successor and current president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who is alleged by his own sister, Senator Imee Marcos, as an illegal drug user himself.
Confirmation of charges
Emotions generated by the travelling museum, on social media or street-corner debates, are expected to reach fever pitch as Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing fast approaches on February 23.
Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022, was detained in Manila on March 11 and taken to the ICC prison at Scheveningen, near The Hague. He appeared very weak, barely speaking, when he made his first court appearance by video. A cutout of an image of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte behind bars during a rally in Manila last year
Duterte was arrested March last year and is awaiting trial by the ICC at The Hague, the Netherlands. He faces charges of crimes against humanity stemming from his anti-drug war that human rights groups peg to as many as 30,000 victims.
One of the charges against the former Philippine president concerns 19 murders committed between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte was mayor of Davao City. A second relates to 14 killings of alleged drug bosses in 2016 and 2017, when he was president. The third covers 43 killings of suspected low-level drug users or dealers.
Duterte denied authorising extrajudicial killings but openly threatened to kill drug suspects and encouraged authorities to open fire if suspects resisted arrest. Those orders allegedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings by police of mostly poor drug suspects, according to Amnesty International.
What's Your Reaction?
