Truth commission probes past rights abuses
A civilian- and church-led truth commission continues its investigation into past human rights abuses and corruption to find the truth and help the country heal.
In an interview, Father Flavie Villanueva said the commission will conduct its second hearing on Thursday, wherein a mother will testify about her harrowing experience during Oplan Tokhang before the commissioners.
Villanueva said the commission will study, reflect on and stand up for the truth about what happened during the campaign against illegal drugs from 2016 to 2022.
The priest asked for support for the truth commission, which aims to provide space and the right platform for victims who suffered during the bloody anti-drug campaign.
The truth commission is an official group that investigates human rights abuses by gathering facts, listening to stories from victims, and examining evidence from a specific period in history.
It writes a clear, public report so everyone knows what really happened during a war or dictatorship.
The commission also gives victims a voice, helps society find peace and reconciliation, and suggests new laws or government reforms to prevent these actions from happening again.
The members of the Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission, also called the EJK Truth Commission, which was launched as an independent, civilian-led body to investigate drug war extrajudicial killings, are:
Chairperson: Dr. Raul C. Pangalangan, a prominent legal scholar and former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC);
Commissioner for Forensic Sciences and Independent Investigation: Dr. Raquel Fortun, a renowned forensic pathologist;
Commissioner for Public Documentation, Transparency, and Democratic Accountability: Carlos Conde, a veteran human rights journalist and researcher who also serves as the body's executive director;
Commissioner for Church, Education, and Institutional Reform: Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, CM, a theologian and president of Adamson University;
Commissioner for Psychosocial Support and Trauma Healing: Dr. Al Fuertes, a trauma expert and peace and conflict scholar; and
Commission Adviser: Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David, the Bishop of Caloocan, who provides moral and institutional guidance to protect the independence of the commission.
