Extra-Judicial Killings Extra-judicial killings (EJK) in the Philippines was first attributed to political killings of government critics, especially leftist activists such as human rights defenders, trade unionists, land reform advocates, and others which reached its height during the Arroyo administration (Alston, 2008). The total number of executions ranges from 100 to 800, which merited a Mission to the Philippines by Special Rapporteur Philip Alston of the United Nations. His report was presented to the Human Rights Council Eight Session on 16 April 2008. The report highlighted the impunity for extra-judicial killings “since no one has been convicted in the cases involving the left activists, and only six cases involving journalists resulted in convictions.” The term resurfaced since the start of the war on drugs of the Duterte administration. The term, however does not have a “clear definition” according to the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC). Citing two cases and Administrative Order No. 35, AHRC provided three definitions of EJK: • • • “Extralegal killings are killings without due process of law, i.e., without legal safeguards or judicial proceedings” (Secretary v. Manalo, cited in Ateneo Human Rights Center, 2017). “Extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, by their nature and purpose, constitute State or private party violation of the constitutional rights of individuals to life, liberty and security” (Razon Jr v. Tagitis, cited in Ateneo Human Rights Center, 2017). Extra-judicial killings are “killings wherein the victim was a (i) a member of, or affiliated with an organization, to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor or similar cases; or (ii) an advocate of above-named causes; or (iii) a media practitioner or (iv) person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so. It further stated that the victim was targeted by either State or non-State agents by reason of actual perceived membership, advocacy, or profession, and that the circumstances of the killing reveals a deliberate intent to kill” (Administrative Order No. 35, 2017 as cited in Ateneo Human Rights Center, 2017). Since there is no law that clearly stipulates the definition of EJK, one of the AHRC’s recommendations to the Philippine government, forwarded to the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (3rd Cycle, 27th Session, 2017), is “to enact a law clearly defining extra-judicial killings in line with internationally recognized standards” (Ateneo Human Rights Center, 2017). Effects of EJK on the Families Left Behind However, it must be emphasized that an EJK death does not end the human rights violation. In fact, it is an inciting incident to a host of interrelated negative conditions that have gravely undermined the economic and social rights of the families left behind. - PhilRights, 2018 Panaghoy: The Philippine War on Drugs from the Perspective of Women March 2019 9