Civil society groups have launched a Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate and document alleged extrajudicial killings and other abuses linked to the government’s war on drugs.
The civilian-led body will initially focus on cases during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte to build a “credible public record” of the drug war, centering on survivor testimonies, documentation of alleged violations, and recommendations for accountability and institutional reform.
The groups said the initiative is independent of government processes and aims to provide a platform for victims and witnesses to tell their accounts of the killings and related abuses.
Pablo David, Bishop of Kalookan, will serve as adviser to the commission to provide moral and institutional guidance aimed at safeguarding its independence and ensuring protection for survivors.
The commission is chaired by lawyer Raul Pangalangan, a former International Criminal Court judge and dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law.
Its members include Dr. Raquel Fortun, who will focus on forensic science and independent investigation; Dr. Al Fuertes, for psychosocial support and trauma healing; Fr. Daniel Franklin E. Pilario, CM, for church engagement, education, and institutional reform; and Carlos Conde, for public documentation, transparency, and democratic accountability.
Conde, a human rights researcher and veteran journalist, has been appointed executive director and will be responsible for setting documentation standards, managing public communications, and ensuring the accessibility of the commission’s findings.
Victims’ families, however, raised concerns over the formation of the body, saying they were not consulted and questioning its composition, mandate, and inclusivity.
In a press statement, families under the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights said they sought clarification on how the commission was formed and how victims’ voices would be represented.
“What will make this process different? Victims advocacy groups have been documenting the violations for years. We want to know: Who is commissioning the panel? How are the victims represented? What truth is the panel going to uncover? What is their framework of ‘reconciliation’?” said Llore Pasco, mother of victims Crisanto and Juan Carlos Lozano.
She said victims’ groups had long pushed for representation in any truth-seeking body and questioned the absence of such provisions in the newly formed commission.
“In a House bill creating a Truth Commission, victims are to be represented on the panel. We also lobbied that we want at least 50 percent women on the panel. The announced panel has only one woman, Dr. Raquel Fortun, forensic pathologist. There is no victim representative,” she said.
Jane Lee, wife of victim Michael Lee, said families of victims continued to bear the stigma and misinformation surrounding the drug war.
“Consultations with the victims and our families must be integral in the process,” Lee said.
She said families remain open to engaging with the commission but stressed the need for clearer consultation and participation mechanisms.
The families said they plan to seek an audience with the commission to clarify its mandate, including how it will gather testimonies, verify evidence, and engage with state agencies and law enforcement records.
Pasco said they recognize the involvement of civil society leaders in the panel but raised concerns over access to information and evidentiary gaps.
“Most of the truth that we need is with the police and other witnesses. Will this body be able to surface such truth?” she said.
She added that the commission could risk becoming another documentation exercise unless it establishes clearer mechanisms for accountability and evidence-gathering.
Lee also said accountability efforts should not be limited to past administrations.
“Here in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should be helping us in seeking justice,” she said. “But we must remember that any ‘Truth Commission’ should include killings under his administration too.”
