Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has convened a five-member independent commission that seeks to build a “credible public record” of killings during former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. Source: UCA News.
The citizen-led Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission is set to hold “public truth hearings” to document the experiences of drug war victims. It is also expected to make recommendations to the Office of the President, the Congress and the National Police Commission.
The Truth Commission is headed by Raul Pangalangan, a 67-year-old former judge of the International Criminal Court, which ordered Mr Duterte’s arrest over his alleged crimes against humanity case.
Other commission members include Vincentian Father Daniel Franklin Pilario, forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun, peacebuilding expert and United Church of Christ minister Al Fuertes and former Human Rights Watch researcher and journalist Carlos Conde.
Cardinal David, the 67-year-old bishop of the Kalookan Diocese and a fierce critic of the Duterte drug war, serves as the group’s adviser.
Cardinal David told reporters at a press conference yesterday that the Truth Commission is about finding out the truth “that was buried along with the people who allegedly fought back”.
He was referring to the frequent justification of police officers — that the victims “fought back” and threatened the cops, who had to shoot them in self-defence.
“That is why we are here, so that we, in turn, can fight back — but in a peaceful way. We carry no guns. We fight for the truth,” Cardinal David said.
Human rights groups estimate that the Duterte drug war killed around 30,000 drug suspects, suspected of being addicts and dealers, mostly poor individuals.
Duterte faces the ICC charge of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during his tenure as the mayor of Davao City for about 22 years and then as president (2016-2022).
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Filipino cardinal forms ‘truth commission’ to probe Duterte drug war (By Paterno R. Esmaquel II, UCA News)
