Grief Experiences Among Family Survivors of Extrajudicial Killing Victims in Metro Manila

Abstract

July 2016 marked the beginning of the Philippine government’s rigorous campaign against illegal drugs. Until August 2017 alone, it was estimated that 13,000 lives have been taken due to the ‘War on Drugs.’ This resonates with the grief of 13,000 families who have lost their loved ones in a sudden and violent manner. This study explored the essence of grief experiences of family survivors of extrajudicial killing victims in Metro Manila, where majority of the drug-related killings from 2016 to 2017 occurred. In order to capture this, this research looked into the different forms of losses family survivors undergo, along with the factors influencing these and biopsychosociocultural coping strategies utilized. Seven (7) family survivors of extrajudicial killing victims were interviewed whereas data gathered were analyzed through thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged, namely 1) consequences of loss on the family, 2) socio-political context of loss and grief, and 3) living with the irreversible loss. Five to six subthemes were developed under each major theme. Mainly relying on religion to cope with the loss, participating family survivors have expressed that while they might not be able to completely accept what happened, they recognize the injustices and take their own steps in dealing with the matter through biopsychological and socio-cultural coping strategies.