School of Integrative Studies (SIS) professor Dr. Al Fuertes has been appointed Commissioner to the Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a 100% civilian-led and independent Commission to advance public accountability, uphold the right of truth, and support national healing by producing an authoritative, evidence-based public record of extra judicial killings and related patterns of lethal violence that have undermined human dignity and the rule of law, of the former President Duterte’s war on drugs, which escalated in 2016.
Dr. Fuertes’ role and responsibility are to uphold and facilitate the psychosocial intervention and trauma healing of thousands of victims and survivors of the drug war who want to testify and share their narratives and lived experiences. While the TRC is victim-oriented, it is open to former perpetrators and other government and non-government actors involved during Duterte’s war on drugs who are interested and yearning to share their narratives before the Commission. The Commission will also provide spaces for storytellers interested in meeting and confronting other actors in facilitated conversations, similar to victim-offender conferencing, within the context of restorative justice. Protection mechanisms for all participants are taken into consideration. Themes on healing, justice, reparation, and restitution will be explored, defined, and redefined as part of truth-telling through narratives. By linking truth, accountability, repair, and reform, TRC aims not only to confront the past but to strengthen democratic safeguards for the future.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formally launched on May 27 in Manila. Here are the members of the Commission.
- Chairman: Former International Criminal Court judge Atty. Raul Pangalangan
- Commissioner for Church, Education, and Institutional Reform: Adamson University President Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario
- Commissioner for Forensic Sciences and Independent Investigation: Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun
- Executive Director and Commissioner for Public Documentation, Transparency, and Democratic Accountability: Journalist Carlos Conde
- Commissioner for Psychosocial Support and Trauma Healing: Trauma expert Dr. Al Fuertes
- Adviser: Kalookan Bishop Cardinal Pablo David
Photos from Philippine Star - Facebook page.