A new fact-finding body has been launched to document accounts related to thousands of killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdown in the Philippines. The initiative is led by Raul Pangalangan, a Philippine lawyer and former International Criminal Court (ICC) judge, and a Roman Catholic bishop. The group says it was created to ensure that the stories of victims, survivors, and families are heard, verified, and preserved. It will focus on gathering and documenting accounts connected to killings attributed to the crackdown, with an emphasis on establishing and maintaining records of what happened based on testimony and related information.
The announcement from multiple outlets presents the effort as an inquiry rather than a court proceeding, describing it as a mechanism for collecting facts and safeguarding accounts. The coverage also highlights the leadership roles of Pangalangan and the bishop, and frames the work as part of an effort to produce a documented account of the allegations and impacts of the Duterte-era violence, while aiming to verify and preserve information from those affected.
