19/10/2026
From Truth-Telling to Healing: Mothers of 'Drug War' Victims Turn to Storytelling
Two mothers who testified before the Truth Commission will join a workshop on Sunday built on a simple idea: grief still needs tending after the testimony ends.
MANILA — Earlier this year, two mothers stood before the Truth Commission and described how they lost their children in the “drug war.” They spoke in public about the worst days of their lives, and their words became part of a record meant to outlast the men who pulled the triggers.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the two women will gather again with other mothers. This time, the purpose is to look after themselves.
The commission will hold “Mga Kuwentong Nagpapagaling” (Stories That Heal), a daylong storytelling workshop for mothers, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at De Meester Hall of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in St. Theresa's College, Quezon City.
The presence of the two Truth Tellers, as the commission calls those who have testified, carries the workshop’s central message. “Telling the truth is an important step, but the need for care and healing continues beyond the public truth-telling sessions,” said Dr. Al Fuertes, a trauma expert and member of the commission who organized the workshop.
The commission is an independent body created by civil society to build a public record of killings tied to former President Rodrigo Duterte's antidrug campaign. In August, the commission held its first public session, where families described the deaths of their loved ones, often for the first time in front of an audience. It has since held three more sessions.
Every mother carries a story shaped by love and loss, by pain and courage. The workshop seeks to give participants a safe and respectful space to remember the children they lost and to listen to one another, sharing their experiences in their own time and in their own way. Along the way, organizers hope, the women will come to recognize their own strength.
Through guided storytelling and reflection, participants will learn to share personal experiences without reopening old wounds and to listen to others with empathy. The goal is to help them look past pain and find the courage and hope that remain.
A central principle of the workshop is that each participant owns her story. No mother will be asked to share anything she is not ready to discuss. Each woman decides how much to reveal, and she may choose to stay silent.
The workshop also aims to give participants a caring approach to storytelling that they can bring home to their communities. By passing on what they learn, mothers may help build spaces where other women feel heard and know they are not alone.
More than a chance to revisit difficult experiences, the workshop is meant to honor the strength and hope that can grow out of listening and genuine human connection.
The Truth Commission believes every story deserves respect and every mother deserves to be heard. Through this initiative, the commission hopes to encourage a culture of compassionate listening and mutual support, in which storytelling becomes a way not only to acknowledge pain but also to rediscover courage.
The workshop’s message is simple: Every story matters, and every story can be a step toward healing. (Truth Commission)
