It was a rainy dawn on February 8, 2025, when 28-year-old Mark Soledad, an extrajudicial killing (EJK) survivor from Navotas, discovered through social media that U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), freezing its assets and enforcing travel bans.

Soledad was in shock. “Nagulat po ako at dismayadong-dismayado,” he said in an interview at Silingan Candlemakers, where he and other immediate relatives of EJK victims find solace and employment.

For the 14 workers at Silingan Candlemakers, it felt like a light had been snuffed out just as they were beginning to see hope.

Mildred Ocampo, 47, whose brother was killed in their own home, recalls how they placed their faith and hope in the ICC. They first heard of the institution with its assistance program to Martial Law victims. Now, with the sanctions in place, she fell into eerie silence.

“Gulat kami. Kung ganun ang mangyayari, e di parang di na rin kami talaga binigyan ng hustisya. Sa totoo lang, umasa talaga kami. Di lang ako. Pero marami kaming pamilya na naniniwala ang ICC ang makakatulong sa amin,” Mildred narrates.

Then the candlemakers huddled on one table and shared each other’s emotional impact of Trump’s action.

Mac-Mac, one of the youthful worker, who cooks paraffin candles, voices out the group’s sentiment: “Itong war on drugs ay maraming naidulot na kasawian sa aming mga pamilya. Ngayon, sa ginawa ni Donald Trump tungkol sa pondo ng ICC, napakalaki ng aming pagkadismaya.Ito lang ang aming pinanghahawakan para mabigyan naman ng hustisya ang aming mga pamilya.”

He adds that they are not losing hope and will continue the fight. In their loneliness and in their quest for justice, he says they are thinking of what to do next. They trust they will find support from people.

Father Flavie L. Villanueva, SVD, who shepherds the plight of EJK victim families through an organization called “Program Paghilom” lays it down in a phone interview: “Ang nasanay sa dilim, takot mailagay sa liwanag. Malinaw ang layunin ng International Criminal Court, ang mag-imbistiga at mag-suri, magsiyasat at mag-imbistiga ng mga gawain ng tao at autoridad na wagas na lumalabag sa karapatang pangtaon o ‘crimes against humanity.’ Mayroon sa twina mga tao at organizasyon na magnanais humadlang sa kanilang misyon. Ngunit, gaya ng hindi mahahadlangan ang paghilom at pagbangon ng mga EJK victims, gayon din ang paninindigan ng ICC laban sa mga nagnanais hadlangan ang kanilang misyon. Misyon na maging tagapaghatid ng katarungan at katotohanan sa mga tao at lugar sa buong parte ng mundo.”  (Photos and text by Joel Mataro)