Truth commission eyed to probe EJKs

51st YEAR SINCE THE MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION / SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
In the spirit of the 51st year commemoration of Marcos’s Declaration of Martial Law, TINDIG PILIPINAS, a pro-democracy coalition of civil society organizations and progressive political parties, hold a news conference in Quezon City on September 19, 2023, to call for the establishment of a truth commission on the thousands of exrta-judicial killings during the Duterte administration. The group will also seek reparations for the families of the victims of Duterte’s EJKs, similar to the reparations rewarded to the human rights victims of the martial law years. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — A coalition of pro-democracy groups on Tuesday called for the creation of a “truth commission” similar to that of Mexico, which would look into the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the drug war of the Duterte administration.

In a press conference in Quezon City, the Tindig Pilipinas coalition said they would highlight this call during the commemoration of the 51st anniversary of the declaration of martial law on Thursday.

“His (Duterte’s) bloody war on drugs destroyed thousands of lives and traumatized generations of Filipinos,” said their spokesperson Teresita Quintos-Deles. “We will not wait for another 41 years,” she added. Deles once served as Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process during the administrations of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III.

Randy delos Santos, uncle of the 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, who was killed during a police operation in Caloocan City in 2017, said such a commission would be tasked to “uncover, recognize and document killings committed under the drug war, to bring to justice those responsible for the killings.”He added this could also pave the way for reparations to victims of extrajudicial killings, “similar to the reparations rewarded by the government to martial law victims.”

Police officers stand guard near the body of Aldrin de Guzman, who was killed in a drug-related shooting incident by assailants riding in tandem on Guyabano Street, Barangay Napico, Manggahan, Pasig City, on Feb. 1, 2017. (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Uncover past wrongdoing

Funds for these, they suggested, could be sourced by realigning the combined P650-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) to create a fund that could establish the Truth Commission. Activist priest Flavie Villanueva’s Church-led program “Project Paghilom” has been helping provide funeral, legal and psychosocial support for the victims of the drug war. He said, “This should have been the job of the state, from the Philippine National Police to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.”

“Out of fairness and justice, we urge the government to create a ‘Truth EJK Commission’ that would serve as an official body that would uncover past wrongdoing by the dictatorship of former President Rodrigo Duterte,” Fr. Villanueva added.

Many members of the coalition were part of the same movement that had called for the creation of the landmark Republic Act No. 10368 of 2012, which institutionalizes the reparation and recognition of victims of human rights violations during the 20-year-long dictatorship of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr., father of incumbent President Marcos.

DRUG SUSPECT | In this file photo, a scene of the crime operative inspects the body of one of two drug suspects who were shot dead following an encounter with the police along C3 Road in Caloocan City. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

Martial law in the curriculum

While the government has already finished paying out compensation for martial law victims, Deles said the state has yet to fulfill other provisions of the landmark law.

This includes the integration of martial law in the school curriculum through the DepEd, as well as the establishment of a martial law museum that aims to record and remember what happened during the Marcos dictatorship.

It also includes “nonmonetary compensation,” which could come in the form of basic services like training, livelihood programs, among others, offered to the victims.

It can be recalled former President Aquino III’s first Executive Order was the creation of the Philippine Truth Commission, which was tasked to probe alleged graft and corruption cases during then-President Macapagal-Arroyo’s term. However, after six months the Supreme Court with a vote of 10-5 ruled the commission was unconstitutional.