MANILA — A new civilian-led body seeking to document and look deeper into extrajudicial killings (EJK) linked to the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign was launched Wednesday, with former International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Raul Pangalangan serving as chairman and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David acting as adviser.
The EJK Truth Commission, said it aimed to establish a “credible public record” of extrajudicial killings and related abuses in the country, nearly a decade after the nationwide escalation of drug war killings under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The Truth Commission was created to ensure that the stories of victims, survivors, and families are heard, verified, and preserved. This is not about replacing the courts or assigning guilt. It is about building a credible truth record that can guide accountability, healing, reform, and the prevention of future violence,” Pangalangan said.
EJK victims seek no delay as Duterte legal team changes — Conti
The Commission said its work would include public truth hearings, documentation of lived experiences and institutional patterns, as well as recommendations for accountability, reparations, institutional reforms and safeguards against future abuses.
Joining Pangalangan in the Commission are forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, psychosocial expert Dr. Al Fuertes, priest-scholar Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, and human rights advocate Carlos Conde, who will also serve as executive director.
The launch comes as Duterte’s crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court has already moved to Trial Chamber III. The Chamber is set to hold its first status conference on Wednesday.
Pangalangan stressed that the EJK Truth Commission is not a prosecutorial body and its work is separate from the ICC proceedings, which currently focus on three sets of confirmed charges against Duterte covering his time as Davao City mayor and as Philippine president. But he also explained that the ICC Prosecutor could use any of the EJK Truth Commission’s findings that it finds relevant to the case.
“The focus of the Truth Commission is much wider, we are not limited to that charges,” Pangalangan said. “If they find it relevant, of course they are free to use that information. Whether as a direct incriminating evidence or maybe as a background information.”
The commission also acknowledged risks faced by victims and witnesses who might come forward.
“The fact is many of the victims and witnesses have been given care and sanctuary by the Catholic Church. So it’s been ongoing, so it’s not a plan, it’s not a projection, they have received that protection over the years and we will, the Church, can continue to give that protection and sanctuary for them,” Pangalangan said.
Conde said the commission already had “security protocols in place.”
“Rest assured that anybody who’s going to come forward to the Commission to testify or share their stories, we have security protocols in place, and we will not put the safety and the lives of these survivors in danger. We will make sure that they are protected,” he said.
Conde also admitted one of the Commission’s biggest challenges was determining the actual number of drug war deaths.
“One of the challenges that we’re facing here is that nobody really knows exactly how many have died. We have different figures. They say 30,000, the UN says 18,000, the government says 6,000, 7,000,” he said.
War on Drugs, The Unheard Voices
Fortun, who has conducted exhumations and forensic examinations in drug war-related cases, lamented the lack of proper documentation and autopsy records.
“Isa yun sa malaking frustration, asan ang documentation niyo? Everything, everything, how it happened, where it happened, the examination of the body, the statements of the witnesses and so on,” she said.
“But this is the Philippines, I have only seen a handful, about 20 autopsies, and to date, 138 cases from Fr. Flavie, exhumed. And then another 8 from other people,” she added.
Fortun also raised concerns over unclaimed and unidentified bodies that could have been buried without records.
No legal impediment to Bato’s arrest says legal representative of EJK victims
“I’m also looking at the opportunity to look for them, kasi I bet itong ating mga sementeryo ay merong mga lugar na tinapon lang don ito ngang unclaimed and unidentified,” she said.
Asked whether more exhumations could be conducted, Fortun replied: “Are we going to see exhumations, a lot more bodies, well I hope so. But it’s not easy. It’s not easy to organize.”
She also confirmed she remained open to assisting ICC prosecutors if needed.
“I’m just standing by. If they need me, I’m here. But I haven't heard anything definite from them,” Fortun said.
Cardinal David recounted cases where families allegedly felt pressured to falsify causes of death just to retrieve relatives’ remains.
“Kung minsan you’ll be surprised na nag-cooperate pa yung families of the victim in falsifying an autopsy report para lang makuha yung bangkay ng kaanak nila. They were pressured. So sasabihin cardiac arrest, pneumonia, mga ganyan at may nakapirma ha,” he said.
When asked about narratives portraying the anti-drug campaign as “pro-life,” David said the commission’s hearings would allow the public to hear directly from victims’ families.
“Ito lang ang paraan para ma-test natin yung naratibo na ang tokhang ay pro-life at pro-human rights. I think they’ll have to say that straight to the faces of the families of victims,” the cardinal said.
ICC Registry says Duterte’s falls were ‘rare occasions,’ disputes defense claim of ‘frequent episodes’
ICC upholds Duterte detention, sees higher risk of flight
NBI ready for more ICC warrants, says Dela Rosa still in PH