Asia

Philippine police face lawsuit campaign over drug killings

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A relative displays a "Stop Killing The Poor" message during a protest outside the Ombudsman building to lend support to Mary Ann D. Domingo, the widow and mother respectively of Luis Bonifacio and Gabriel Bonifacio as she files two counts of murder and administrative cases against Police Superintendent Ali Jose Duterte and at least seven other police officers in the killing last year of Luis and Gabriel Bonifacio inside their house, Tuesday, March 14, 2017 in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. The charges were one of a few cases filed against police officers by relatives since the so-called war on drugs by President Rodrigo Duterte killed more than 7,000 people in the first 8 months of his term. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Kaila Domingo, the daughter of Mary Ann D. Domingo, waits for her turn to be sworn in by the Ombudsman as her mother files two counts of murder and administrative cases against Police Superintendent Ali Jose Duterte and at least seven other police officers in the killing last year of Luis and Gabriel Domingo inside their house, Tuesday, March 14, 2017 in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. The charges were one of a few cases filed against police officers by relatives since the so-called war on drugs by President Rodrigo Duterte killed more than 7,000 people in the first 8 months of his term. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Mary Ann D. Domingo, the widow and mother respectively of Luis Bonifacio and Gabriel Bonifacio, submits as evidence the photos of the victims as she files two counts of murder and administrative cases before the Ombudsman against Police Superintendent Ali Jose Duterte and at least seven other police officers in the killing last year of Luis and Gabriel Bonifacio inside their house, Tuesday, March 14, 2017 in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. The charges were one of a few cases filed against police officers by relatives since the so-called war on drugs by President Rodrigo Duterte killed more than 7,000 people in the first 8 months of his term.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Relatives of a father and son who were killed last year by Philippine policemen in an anti-drug raid have filed murder complaints against eight officers in what lawyers said will be the first of many lawsuits against enforcers of the president's bloody crackdown.

Lawyer Maria Kristina Conti said the murder complaints filed Tuesday by Mary Ann Domingo against the policemen are the start of a campaign to help families of poor victims of alleged extrajudicial killings under President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown fight back through the courts.

Domingo's husband and son were gunned down in their house in what police say was a gunbattle with drug suspects, but Conti said was a rubout.