MANILA — A group led by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David launched the EJK Truth Commission in Manila on May 27, 2026, to investigate extrajudicial killings during former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. The fact-finding body aims to document witness accounts and other details of the crackdown that left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.

The commission was organized to help victims, their families, and repentant law enforcers find closure. Cardinal David said, “This is long overdue.” He added, “This is an opportunity for a catharsis so we can recover our dignity as a country.” He also stated, “Ultimately, what we aspire for is healing not only for the victims but also our institutions.”

Raul Pangalangan, a former International Criminal Court (ICC) judge, will head the EJK Truth Commission. Pangalangan said, “The commission was created to ensure that the stories of victims, survivors and families are heard, verified and preserved.” He added, “These things happened because everybody looked the other way.” He described the situation as “It is almost a conspiracy of silence.”

The commission plans to hold public hearings and has said it will allow the government to use its findings to help authorities investigate, prosecute, and seek accountability. Periodic reports may be submitted to justice and human rights officials. Cardinal David also called on civil society, academic, religious, and other groups to assist the commission’s work.

Raquel Fortun, a forensic pathologist with the University of the Philippines and a commission member, acknowledged the challenges ahead. “The task of establishing facts years after the killings would be difficult,” she said. Fortun added, “There were efforts by some law enforcers involved in the killings to evade accountability.” She cited cases in which death certificates for 13 exhumed drug suspects listed natural causes like heart attack and pneumonia, but her examinations revealed gunshot wounds. “When I examined the remains, I found that they were hit by gunfire,” she said.

A large charity group in Germany has offered funding support to the EJK Truth Commission. Duterte ended his presidency in 2022 and was arrested in 2025. He is currently facing trial before the ICC in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity related to the killings.