The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to establish a national body to investigate the thousands of killings committed during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs and to promote national reconciliation. Conference president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, in a Nov. 7 letter, asked Marcos to create a “National Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” Such a commission, he said, will “restore dignity to victims’ families who continue to seek justice and closure,” the conference’s news service reported.
The proposed commission, he said, “would not seek vengeance but truth, accountability, and compassion,” and would help the nation “move forward with honesty and moral clarity.” It could also provide victims and witnesses with a safe space, review unresolved cases, and recommend reparations, support, and institutional reforms to prevent future abuses.
“Truth-telling is not an act of reopening wounds — it is the only path by which wounds can finally heal,” David wrote. “Silence breeds resentment and fear; truth restores dignity, trust, and moral coherence to our democracy.”
Human rights groups estimate some 12,000-30,000 extrajudicial killings were carried out by police and vigilantes during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign (2016–2022). Most victims were poor urban residents accused of drug-related crimes.
Duterte was arrested by Interpol on March 11 and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he faces crimes against humanity charges related to the drug war and his alleged leadership of the “Davao Death Squad” during his tenure as mayor. His lawyers and supporters have dismissed the arrest as politically motivated.
David said creating the commission would send “a powerful message that the country chooses courage over fear, accountability over impunity, and reconciliation over silence.” “It would reaffirm a principle that lies at the heart of our democracy and faith traditions — that every human life has dignity and worth,” he added.
The prelate heads the Diocese of Kalookan, which is described as “ground zero” of the drug war killings. He said he continues to meet widowed mothers and orphaned children traumatized by the violence. Many families, he noted, have lost not only loved ones but also trust in public institutions, their sense of safety, and their livelihoods. “They deserve closure. Our institutions deserve restoration. Our nation needs healing,” David stressed.
