MANILA — Members of the Mambabatas para sa Karapatang Pantao (MAKATAO) coalition, led by Deputy Minority Leader and Makabayan Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, filed House Bill 6686 on Tuesday seeking the creation of an independent truth commission on extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

Dubbed the “Truth Commission on Extrajudicial Killings Act,” the measure was crafted in consultation with the Human Rights and People Empowerment Center (HRPEC) and is part of the coalition’s priority legislative agenda.

The proposed commission would investigate EJKs in the Philippines, uncover their causes, patterns, and consequences, complement existing accountability mechanisms such as the Ombudsman, Department of Justice (DOJ), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and the courts, and recommend institutional reforms to prevent future violations.

“As the search for truth is indispensable for justice and national healing, it is the urgent mandate of the State to determine not only how many were killed, but also how, by whom, and under what structures these killings were carried out,” the bill read.

De Lima emphasized that while the International Criminal Court (ICC) is conducting its own probe, a national truth commission is needed to hold accountable not only top officials but also middle-level officers and personnel involved in the anti-drug campaign.

During the Duterte administration, EJKs surged to unprecedented levels, with the Philippine National Police reporting 6,200 deaths while human rights groups estimate up to 30,000 killings.

The bill is co-authored by Reps. Arlene Bag-ao, Renee Louise Co, Sarah Jane Elago, Cielo Krisel Lagman, Elijah San Fernando, Antonio Tinio, and Alfonso Umali Jr. (PNA)