A Truth Commission was formally launched today as an independent, civilian-led, and truth-seeking body dedicated to establishing a credible public record of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
The creation of the Truth Commission comes as the Philippines marks nearly a decade since drug war-related killings escalated nationwide in 2016 at the start of the Duterte presidency. The Commission, in a statement, said it recognizes that while the violence did not begin in 2016, the scale, persistence, and targeted killings in recent years have left thousands of families still seeking truth, justice and healing.
“The commission will be guided by Cardinal Pablo “Ambo” David as Adviser. Cardinal David will serve as an independent moral and institutional guide to help safeguard the integrity, independence, and mission of the commission, particularly in relation to truth-seeking, due process, survivor protection, confidentiality, public trust, and institutional independence,” it said.
“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,” said Atty. Raul Pangalangan, Commissioner for Legal Affairs and Due Process, who will help safeguard due process, ethical standards, and the legal integrity of the Truth Commission’s processes and outputs.
Pangalangan, a former judge of the International Criminal Court, also serves as Chairman for the Truth Commission, and will be joined by the following civilian commissioners representing distinct areas of expertise:
Dr. Raquel Barros del Rosario-Fortun, Commissioner for Forensic Sciences and Independent Investigation, who will help advance credible fact-finding standards, forensic review protocols, and evidence protection;
Dr. Al Fuertes, Commissioner for Psychosocial Support and Trauma Healing, who will guide trauma-informed practice, survivor protection, psychosocial protocols, and healing and recovery support;
Fr. Daniel Franklin E. Pilario, CM, Commissioner for Church and Education, Truth Literacy, and Institutional Reform, who will help lead truth literacy, prevention strategies, public education, and institutional reform recommendations; and
Carlos Conde, Commissioner for Public Documentation, Transparency, and Democratic Accountability, who will help set standards for public documentation, reporting, accessibility, transparency, and non-partisan public communication. Conde will also serve as the Executive Director for the Truth Commission.
The commissioners will provide civilian leadership and overall direction for the Truth Commission. They are expected to approve policies and standards, convene and chair National Truth Hearings, adopt findings and reports, authorize referrals and recommendations, and lead public engagement while maintaining the Commission’s independence from government control.
A key component of the Commission’s work will be the conduct of Public Truth Hearings, which may be public, semi-public, closed, anonymized, or representative depending on survivor consent, safety considerations, and risk assessment. These hearings will be conducted under non-adversarial rules and survivor-centered safeguards, with the goal of documenting lived experiences, institutional patterns, historical context, and the social impacts of violence in a safe, dignified, and non-adversarial environment.
Participants may include victims, survivors, affected families, community representatives, witnesses, former participants in violence, heads of institutions, government officials, subject-matter experts, academics, historians, researchers, psychosocial practitioners, faith leaders, civil society organizations, and members of the media, subject to informed consent, confidentiality protocols, and survivor-protection measures.
The Commission will also prepare referral-ready packages and evidence-based recommendations for relevant institutions. These may include oversight bodies and agencies such as the Commission on Human Rights, the National Police Commission (Napolcom), the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation, and other lawful recipient institutions, while maintaining the commission’s independent civilian role.
The Truth Commission is expected to submit periodic reports of its findings and recommendations every six months to appropriate bodies, including Napolcom, Congress, and the President, and to submit a final report at the end of its tenure. Reports will be made available to the public, subject to data privacy and confidentiality requirements.
“The truth must be protected not only as a matter of record, but as a matter of dignity for the families who have carried these stories for years. The Truth Commission exists so these stories can be heard, verified, preserved, and acted upon.” said Cardinal David.
