[WATCH] Mom of drug war victim on possible ICC probe: I’m happy

Inside a church, Normita Lopez held a photo of her son, Djastin, who was just 23 years old when he was killed in a police operation in 2017.

She clutched this same photo a day after retired International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda publicized her request to open a formal investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

While Duterte has repeatedly said he will not cooperate in the investigation, Lopez, 56, welcomed Bensouda’s request for a probe. She said she has now become more hopeful.

For Lopez, this development is a step closer towards justice for her son.

Lopez is among many complainants to the ICC calling for Duterte’s international indictment over thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

The ICC pre-trial chamber has yet to decide whether or not to open a probe. Will justice remain elusive for the casualties of the war on drugs? – Rappler.com