Rowegie Abanto

Families of victims of extrajudicial killings turn emotional as they watch the live streaming of the decision of the International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber rejecting the appeal of the defense team for the interim release of former president Rodrigo Duterte, at the UP College of Law in Quezon City on November 28, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) turn emotional as they watch the live streaming of the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber rejecting the appeal of the defense team for the interim release of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, at the UP College of Law in Quezon City on November 28, 2025.

Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, by Interpol following an ICC warrant charging him with crimes against humanity related to the Philippine drug war. 

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178659625407220251128-icc-rejects-duterte-interim-release-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Families of victims of extrajudicial killings turn emotional as they watch the live streaming of the decision of the International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber rejecting the appeal of the defense team for the interim release of former president Rodrigo Duterte, at the UP College of Law in Quezon City on November 28, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA — A truth commission formed by the Catholic Church and civil society organizations will hold its first public hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s drug war on Friday, its chairman said Thursday.</div><p>The group will look into alleged extrajudicial killings under Duterte&#x27;s war on drugs but will not make formal accusations as it is not part of the government, said Raul Pangalangan, who chairs the drug war truth commission and is a former International Criminal Court judge.</p><p>&quot;Our goal is to enable the victims to speak their truth, to enable the victims to be heard,&quot; Pangalangan said. He said information from the hearing will be sent to government agencies and international organizations.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/war-on-drugs/part6">War on drugs: The unheard stories<br/></a></div><p>The truth commission&#x27;s hearings will be conducted in the context of the ICC investigation into Duterte&#x27;s alleged crimes against humanity of murder over his anti-drug campaign, where government acknowledged more than 6,000 killed in operations. </p><p>Human rights groups have said the true toll could be as high as 30,000.</p><p>Duterte has been detained in The Hague for over a year and awaits his November trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BROADER THAN ICC PROBE</strong></div><p>Asked about the significance of the truth commission&#x27;s campaign, Pangalangan said the ICC investigation only covers alleged crimes from 2011 to 2019, when the Philippines left the court.</p><p>The truth commission, he said, can hear victims of crimes committed after 2019 and before 2011.</p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s quite a practical distinction, because we have heard victims. Parents, mothers, who actually are quite distraught, that their loved ones have been killed, and ... are just simply beyond the jurisdiction of the ICC,&quot; Pangalangan said.</p><p>&quot;You know, to hear what actually happened to our countrymen, who fell during the war on drugs. And I think it is a story that has to be told,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Hearing the mothers testify before us, reading the distortions in the death certificates. That, in itself, I think, is worth bringing to the attention of our people.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/27/civilian-led-truth-commission-launched-to-probe-ejks-preserve-victims-stories-1629">Civilian-led truth commission launched to probe EJKs, preserve victims’ stories</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5_g2F8uUX2E?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rn8vq4UHIFU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MfE2RQMprVY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A truth commission formed by the Catholic Church and civil society organizations will launch its first public hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war on Friday where victims' stories will be heard, its chairman said Thursday.</p>

A truth commission formed by the Catholic Church and civil society organizations will launch its first public hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war on Friday where victims' stories will be heard, its chairman said Thursday.

Drug war truth commission to hold first public hearing to hear victims' stories

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Drug war truth commission to hold first public hearing to hear victims' stories

ABS-CBN News

Published August 13, 2026 12:59 PM PHT

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Drug War

Drug War Truth Commission

Rodrigo Duterte

War On Drugs

Raul Pangalangan

ICC

Crimes Against Humanity

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