Civil Society Launches Independent Truth Commission on Drug War Killings, Chaired by Former ICC Judge Pangalangan

# Civil Society Launches Independent Truth Commission on Drug War Killings, Chaired by Former ICC Judge Pangalangan **Philippine civil society groups, led by Catholic Church figures and human rights organizations, formally launched the Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission on May 27, 2026, tasked with documenting the extrajudicial killings carried out during the Duterte administration's "war on drugs" — establishing the first domestically organized independent body dedicated to building a credible public record of the campaign's human toll.** The commission was launched at Villa San Miguel in Mandaluyong City. Its establishment comes the same week that the International Criminal Court held the first status conference in its crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte, and just a day before the ICC announced November 30, 2026 as the date Duterte's trial will formally open. ## Commission Composition and Leadership The commission is chaired by **Raul Pangalangan**, a former judge of the International Criminal Court and current dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law. Pangalangan, in remarks at the launch, said the commission aims to build "a credible truth record that can guide accountability, healing, reform, and the prevention of future violence," and that it hopes its findings will be useful for both domestic accountability efforts and the ongoing ICC proceedings. Other members include forensic pathologist **Dr. Raquel Fortun**, who will oversee forensic science and independent investigation protocols — Fortun has previously conducted autopsies on drug war victims that contradicted the official police accounts. **Dr. Al Fuertes** will manage psychosocial support and trauma-informed healing for survivors. **Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario** will handle institutional reform and church-related engagement, while **Carlos Conde**, a former researcher for Human Rights Watch, will lead public documentation and transparency work. **Cardinal Pablo "Ambo" David** — one of the most prominent Catholic voices on human rights in the Philippines — will serve as the commission's moral adviser, providing independent guidance to protect its institutional integrity. ## Mandate and Operations The commission is explicitly independent from the Philippine government. According to reporting by the Philippine Star, its initial focus will be on the Duterte administration period (2016–2022), aiming to document individual cases, gather survivor testimonies, and compile evidence that could inform future accountability proceedings. The body will hold public hearings where victims, families, witnesses, and — subject to protection arrangements — former perpetrators may testify. The Inquirer reported that the commission will center on cases not yet adequately documented in the official record, particularly killings by police and paramilitary actors in low-income urban communities where most victims were concentrated. The commission has no subpoena power and cannot compel the appearance of witnesses. It is modeled on truth commissions in other post-conflict or accountability contexts, such as South Africa and East Timor. ## The Scale of the Killings The Philippine National Police has officially acknowledged approximately 6,200 deaths in anti-drug operations during the Duterte period — characterized in official records as suspects killed "in police encounters" while "resisting arrest." Human rights organizations, including the UN Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch, have documented a far higher toll: estimates range from 12,000 to over 30,000 deaths when counting killings attributed to vigilante groups and unidentified gunmen operating alongside formal police operations. The ICC's Office of the Prosecutor has focused on killings in the National Capital Region between July 2016 and March 2019 as representative of a wider pattern. Duterte, now detained in The Hague, has consistently denied authorizing unlawful killings and maintains that all operations were lawful counter-narcotics enforcement. ## Significance and Limitations The launch of the commission is notable both for what it represents and what it cannot do. As a civilian, non-governmental body, it has no enforcement authority — it cannot indict, convict, or impose reparations. Its value lies primarily in documentation and moral accountability: creating a historical record that victims' families, courts, and future governments can draw upon. Legal observers note that well-documented truth commission reports have been used as evidence in later judicial proceedings in other countries. In the Philippine context, where state-led investigation of the drug war has been politically fraught, a credible independent record could be particularly significant. The commission's work will also unfold against a politically charged backdrop. The Senate's investigative machinery has shifted under new leadership, with Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano — a vocal defender of the drug war — now presiding over a chamber that was previously aggressively probing the flood-control scandal. Human rights groups have expressed concern that oversight of drug war accountability may weaken further in the current political climate. ## Context This is not the Philippine government's commission. Previous efforts to establish a government-backed truth commission for the drug war have not materialized. The Marcos administration, while more cooperative with the ICC than its predecessor, has not established a domestic equivalent. The Church and civil society groups behind this initiative have stepped into the vacuum. --- **Sources:** - [Philippines launches independent truth panel to probe 'drugs war' killings — The Star (Malaysia)/Reuters](https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/05/27/philippines-launches-independent-truth-panel-to-probe-drugs-war-killings) - [Catholic-backed truth commission launched to investigate Philippines drug war killings — LiCAS News](https://www.licas.news/2026/05/27/catholic-backed-truth-commission-launched-to-investigate-philippines-drug-war-killings/) - [Church, civilian-led truth body formed on drug war killings — Philippine Star](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/05/27/2530927/church-civilian-led-truth-body-formed-drug-war-killings) - [Civil society forms truth commission on Duterte's drug war — Philippine Daily Inquirer](https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2235177/civil-society-forms-truth-commission-on-dutertes-drug-war) - [Civilian-led EJK Truth Commission launched — Philippine Daily Inquirer](https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2235359/civilian-led-ejk-truth-commission-launched) - [Philippine Truth Commission Probes Duterte Drug War Killings as Victims' Families Demand Voice, Accountability — Tribune](https://tribune.net.ph/2026/05/27/civil-society-groups-launch-truth-commission-on-drug-war-killings) - [Independent Truth Commission launched to probe drug war killings, operating amidst historic ICC case — BusinessMirror](https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/05/27/independent-truth-commission-launched-to-probe-drug-war-killings-operating-amidst-historic-icc-case/) - [Here's how a truth commission will investigate Duterte's war on drugs — Rappler](https://www.rappler.com/philippines/how-truth-commission-investigate-rodrigo-duterte-drug-war/)