Philippines launches truth commission into Duterte's deadly drug war

An independent body has launched hearings into killings connected to former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drugs campaign. The government says about 6,000 people were killed, but rights groups say the death toll from extrajudicial killings by police and suspected vigilantes may be as high as 30,000. Luzviminda Siapo testified on the first day of hearings about her disabled teenage son Raymart, abducted and killed nine years ago while she worked abroad in Kuwait. Forensic pathologist Dr Raquel Fortun, a commission member, says an examination of his remains suggests he was shot at close range. Duterte is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity linked to the drug war, though few cases have reached local courts. One exception was the 2017 killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, whose murder conviction relied on CCTV footage contradicting police claims of self-defence, a rare instance of accountability his family says still left some charges unresolved.

Al Jazeera's Barnaby Lo reports from Manila.

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