The International Criminal Court is seeking authorization from The Hague tribunal to open an investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed as part of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs. The crimes include murder, torture and serious physical and mental harm. Since 2016, Duterte’s war on drugs has claimed thousands of lives, including children. This is Normita Lopez, the mother of one of the victims. Her 23-year-old son was killed in May 2017 for allegedly resisting arrest during a sting operation.

Normita Lopez: “When I heard the news about the International Criminal Court, I was happy. I thought the case would no longer prosper. If we filed the case against Duterte here, nothing would happen. Since he is the president, he can manipulate everything. He can do anything to avoid getting sued and imprisoned. When I heard the news about the ICC, I became more hopeful.”