​KARAPATAN Welcomes De Lima’s Truth Commission Bill

[KARAPATAN Public Information]

PRESS RELEASE

December 10, 2025

Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831

KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580

KARAPATAN Welcomes De Lima’s Truth Commission Bill

Human rights alliance KARAPATAN today welcomed the filing at the House of Representatives of the proposed law creating an independent Truth Commission on Extrajudicial Killings (EJKs), authored by Rep. Leila M. de Lima and co-authored by legislators of the Makatao coalition, while asserting that those who ordered, enabled, and defended extrajudicial killings (EJKs) must be fully held accountable.

House Bill 6686, or the Truth Commission on Extrajudicial Killings Act, seeks to establish an independent body with the authority to investigate EJKs in the country, trace their underlying causes and systemic patterns, assess their impacts, coordinate with bodies such as the Ombudsman, Department of Justice, Commission on Human Rights, and local courts, and propose institutional reforms to prevent their recurrence.

“We welcome this bill as it recognizes the magnitude and systematic nature of the violence that unfolded under past and present administrations. The creation of an independent truth commission with investigation functions and subpoena powers provide a platform for uncovering what truly happened, how it happened, and who was responsible across the entire chain of command in government,” said Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general.

Palabay issued a clear warning: “Truth without accountability is meaningless and would be a betrayal of the victims’ aspirations. Identifying the perpetrators is only the beginning. Impunity and injustice will persist unless those who planned, ordered, and justified these killings are held to account. As Duterte faces trial at the ICC in The Hague, his co-perpetrators, Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa and police generals, remain at large. The arrests and prosecution of those who masterminded and implemented the killings must ensure that the documentation, memorialization, and institution of reparations through the Truth Commission leads to justice for the victims.”

“On top of the killings in Duterte’s sham war on drugs, community organizers, human rights defenders, peasant and indigenous leaders, lawyers, journalists, workers were killed by suspected State agents in line with government’s counterinsurgency campaign. These killings continue under the current Marcos Jr. administration,” Palabay said.  

She further stressed the limitations of existing domestic mechanisms. “The government task force with the mandate to investigate and prosecute EJKs, enforced disappearance, torture, among other grave human rights violations, has failed to deliver justice and accountability. The cases of those killed in the 2021 Bloody Sunday killings in Southern Tagalog, including trade union leader Emmanuel Asuncion, and peasant activists Ana Mariz Lemita-Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista, among others, is among the emblematic cases of impunity that underscores the urgent need for a stronger, independent truth-seeking body.”

“The Truth Commission must be independent, victim-centered and inclusive of all victims of EJKs. Any attempt to weaken its powers would betray the families and communities who have long sought justice,” Palabay said.

“The families of victims will continue to seek justice, wherever it may be found. Whether through the Truth Commission, domestic courts, or international mechanisms, their demand for accountability and reparations will not be silenced, and we will continue to stand with them in pursuit of true justice,” Palabay concluded.

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Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights

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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties.  It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.