Filipino photojournalist Ezra Acayan, widely recognized for capturing the grim reality of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, has once again brought attention to the chilling stories behind some of the lives lost under the controversial “Tokhang” operations.
In a recent Facebook post, Acayan shared haunting visuals—including both photographs and video clips—depicting the aftermath of three extrajudicial killings (EJKs). These images were taken during the time when Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), a period marked by a surge in fatal anti-drug operations.
Among the stories Acayan revisited was that of Leah Espiritu, a mother of six, who was accused of peddling drugs. According to the photojournalist, Espiritu was shot dead while she was doing her laundry outside her home. One of the images captured the heartbreak of her funeral, offering a powerful reminder of the human toll behind the statistics.
By re-sharing these painful memories, Acayan continues to shed light on the casualties of a violent campaign that left thousands of families in mourning—and raises questions that remain unanswered to this day.
“It was just one of too many funerals I covered during the drug war. I may have lost my sanity at some point—not because of what I was seeing, but because so many others saw this and thought it was the right thing,” Acayan said.
He also shared a photo of the funeral of Aldrin Pineda, a 13-year-old boy who was shot dead by a police officer while playing outside his house. The policeman claimed he accidentally tripped and fired his gun.
Acayan also posted a picture of the lifeless body of construction worker Gilbert Beguelme slumping on the hood of a jeepney after he was shot by unknown assailants. The victim was previously warned by his siblings to stop using illegal drugs.
These three killings occurred between 2016 and 2018, during Dela Rosa’s tenure as Duterte’s PNP chief and the chief enforcer of the administration’s brutal war on drugs.
The Senator earlier declared that he would seek refuge from the Senate should the ICC issue the warrant for his arrest, but he recently changed his tune, insisting that he’s contemplating evading arrest.
Earlier, a political analyst has cautioned against Dela Rosa’s attempts to frame himself as a victim of persecution, suggesting that he is seeking to garner the same support and sympathy that Duterte continues to receive from his loyal base.
“Sen. Dela Rosa’s disposition these days is to make it appear that he too is being persecuted by Duterte’s rivals with the hope of getting the same support or sympathy that Rody is enjoying nowadays, as we are seeing with the intensified online operations to boost their image and popularity,” said Arjan Aguirre, assistant professor at the Ateneo de Manila University.
“As a candidate, I’m sure he is being advised to say or do things that can be related to the Dutertes and the controversies that they are facing,” he added.
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