The violent anti-drug campaign known as “Tokhang” under former President Rodrigo Duterte did not only claim thousands of lives but also eroded truth, democratic institutions and Filipinos’ sense of humanity, according to Father Flavie Villanueva.

In an interview at the Kapihan sa Red Dynasty on Monday, Villanueva described the multifaceted destruction wrought by the drug war, which he said fundamentally altered Philippine society from 2016 to 2022.

“Ang unang tinokhang ay ang katotohanan” (What was first tokhanged was the truth), Villanueva said, referring to what he described as the erosion of factual discourse that accompanied the campaign.

Villanueva identified several “shapes” of Tokhang that went beyond extrajudicial killings, including the systematic dismantling of truth, the spread of a culture of disrespect and the weakening of democratic norms and institutions.

He said social media became a tool for misleading the public during the Duterte administration, while respect for institutions such as Congress, the Senate and even the police diminished significantly.

“Dati may respeto pa ang politiko. Ngayon pag sinabi politiko, negosyo,” he said, claiming that only 67 of more than 200 members of the House of Representatives are lawyers, while many others are businessmen, contractors, celebrities and influencers “running to get rich.”

He also pointed to what he described as an erosion of Philippine sovereignty, citing the country’s position in the West Philippine Sea. He recalled that in 2015, the Philippines’ position on its territorial dispute with China was clear.

“Walang China, walang Chino, walang press na mabanga,” Villanueva said, contrasting the situation then with what he described as the greater presence of Chinese vessels in contested waters.

Pattern of violence

Villanueva urged observers to examine the pattern of police assignments to understand what he described as the “conscience and escalation” of drug war killings.

He cited the case of a Caloocan police station commander whom he identified as Bersa Luna, saying the officer was later reassigned as a provincial commander after his station recorded high numbers of killings. Villanueva linked the period to the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in 2017, whose death sparked widespread public outrage.

“Saan itinalaga ang hepe ng Caloocan? Pagkatapos, provincial commander,” Villanueva said. “So yun yung pattern na gusto natin makita.”

Seeds of hope

Despite his grim assessment, Villanueva said there remain “weavers of hope” working to rebuild the nation.

“May luha, pero meron namang kahit papanong kutitap ng pag-asa,” he said, urging Filipinos not to allow the word “hope” to be erased from their hearts.

He cited proceedings before the International Criminal Court as one source of hope. The ICC opened a preliminary examination into the Philippines’ drug war in 2018, before formally authorizing an investigation in 2021.

Villanueva recalled that civil society organizations had to meet secretly in 2018 to discuss documentation and filing processes because of fears of surveillance.

“Ngayon, malaya tayo, may pakonti-konti,” he said, acknowledging that while surveillance remains, there is greater freedom to discuss drug war-related issues.

Villanueva also cited the possibility of establishing a truth commission as a means of rebuilding public trust, describing it as a possible “hugutan ng pag-asa” (source of hope).

He concluded that healing the nation “is not just in one leader” but requires collective action from all sectors of society, including the executive branch, Congress and, most importantly, the Filipino people.

“Ang tao, ang kabuuan ng tao, ang humanity na napakaganda, napakagara,” Villanueva said, invoking the teachings of Pope Francis on human dignity.