Beyond the Death Toll, Humanizing the Victims

By The Nightcrawlers*

THOUSANDS have been killed in this government’s so-called “war” on drugs. At the same time, thousands of words and images have been written and photographed on this war.

For this work, we journalists have been called many names  — from dilawan to presstitutes, even destabilizers of the country, and allegedly hired by drug lords for simply reporting on these crimes.  Supporters of this drug war, some government officials included, have tried to discredit and accuse us of hiring actors, staging crime scenes, and manipulating photos.

The President himself has publicly called many of our work as “fake news,” even specifically targeted their news groups.

Amid all these, we have received insults, threats, and harassment — on and offline.

And yet, we continue the work. Still, we journalists write stories, and take photographs of this brutal war.  For us, it’s not about political colors. For us, it’s about looking beyond the death toll, and humanizing the victims.

It is about uplifting human rights, and seeking accountability. It’s about reporting every side of the story, even when many choose to believe just one.

*  “The Nightcrawlers” is an informal group of photojournalists working with various Philippine and foreign media agencies who prowl the streets of Metro Manila night after night to document drug war killings. The group members have produced the most riveting images of the war on drugs.

**Published as a part of the World Press Freedom Day 2018 campaign of the Freedom for Media, Freedom for All coalition.