COTABATO — The mother of the slain Maguad siblings has expressed frustration over what she perceives as unequal treatment between families of victims of drug-related killings and those, like hers, who lost children to crimes committed by individuals allegedly linked to drug use. 

In a series of emotional social media posts, Lovella Maguad lamented the difficulty of securing legal support compared to families of extrajudicial killing (EJK) victims, who she said were able to bring their cases to international forums such as The Hague with the help of private organizations.

“Na insecure na naman ako sa mga EJK… afford talaga ang pumunta sa The Hague gamit ang sarili nilang pera at sa tulong ng mga pribadong organisasyon. Kaya talaga nilang mag-ipon. Ako at asawa ko government employees, may permanenteng trabaho pero kailangan ko pa ng dalawang taon na makaipong pambayad sa private legal counsel thru renewal of loan sa susunod na legal move namin,” she wrote, adding that she felt abandoned by government agencies.

Lovella also criticized what she described as political obstacles preventing the truth from coming out in her children’s case. “Sana sa NGO na lang kami lumapit kasi walang kakayahan ang mga leaders at ahensiya ng gobyerno ma tulungan kami sampu ng mga biktima ng mga adiks… dahil sa pulitika hindi mailabas ang katotohanan at hindi makuha-kuha ang hustisya,” she said.

Her frustration was further evident in another post directed at Sheerah Escudero, the sister of an EJK victim. Lovella questioned whether Escudero’s sibling was truly a victim of state violence or of drug-related disputes. 

“Siguraduhin mo Ms. Sheerah na talagang biktima ang kapatid mo ng EJK ha… hindi riding in tandem? Hindi mo ba naisip na baka drug lord ang nag-utos na patayin kapatid mo? O ka-onsehan niya sa drugs ang pumatay sa kanya?” she wrote, accusing EJK advocates of “normalizing” killings by addicts and portraying victims as heroes.

The Maguad case itself shocked the nation in December 2021, when siblings Crizzlle Gwynn and Crizvlle Louis “Boyboy” Maguad were brutally murdered inside their home in Barangay Bagontapay, M’lang, Cotabato. 

Investigations revealed that their foster sister, Janice Sebial, along with another minor, orchestrated the attack out of jealousy and resentment. Sebial was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 22–37 years in prison.

Lovella’s posts highlight the ongoing pain of families seeking justice for victims of violent crimes, and the broader debate over how resources and support are allocated between different types of victims in the Philippines. For her, the fight continues, even as she admits that “iyak lang pwede namin magawa sa ngayon dahil sa sama ng loob pero hindi pa rin kami titigil.”

Image from Lovella Maguad