PNP, Adamson back EJK Truth Commission

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Adamson University College of Law yesterday backed the creation of an EJK Truth Commission that would seek to document extrajudicial killings and other abuses during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.

The move came after the Catholic Church and civil society groups launched a fact-finding truth commission to create what they said would be a “credible public record” of Duterte’s deadly drug war.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police force is ready to cooperate with the commission, adding that it welcomes any independent initiative to investigate the killings during the drug war.

“We fully support this search for truth, and I assure the public that the PNP will cooperate with the Commission within the bounds of legal protocols,” Nartatez said in a statement.

He emphasized that the PNP has implemented reforms in its anti-drug campaign, placing it under a “strictly redefined framework” that values life and the rule of law.

The reforms include the use of body-worn cameras during operations, tighter supervision of anti-narcotics units and stricter internal accountability measures.

“We have instituted extensive operational and institutional reforms aimed at professionalizing our ranks and strictly protecting human rights,” Nartatez said.

Anna Maria Abad, Adamson University College of Law dean, noted that after nearly a decade since the start of the war on drugs, justice remains elusive for many of its victims, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, and their families.

“Compounding this injustice, the accounts of those who endured this campaign have often been discredited or doubted in the face of political idolatry. While the drug menace is undeniably a scourge that must be curtailed with resoluteness and determination, jurisprudence is equally clear, that battle waged against illegal drugs that tramples on the rights of the people is not a war on drugs. It is a war against the people,” Abad said.

She stressed that legal professionals have the sworn duty to ensure that systemic violations of human rights are never repeated.

The initiative was launched hours before the International Criminal Court announced a Nov. 30 trial start for Duterte, who was arrested last year and turned over to the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity.

“With confidence in the solidarity of our people and trust in the rule of law, we hope these efforts may contribute to a future where justice will flow like a river and righteousness like an overflowing stream,” Abad said.