Carlos Conde

'I Killed for Duterte' “I thought we were doing something good,” said Edgar Matobato, one of the hitmen of the Davao Death Squad. He soon realized, he said, that many of the justifications for the killings were lies.

'I Killed for Duterte'

“I thought we were doing something good,” said Edgar Matobato, one of the hitmen of the Davao Death Squad. He soon realized, he said, that many of the justifications for the killings were lies.

www.rightsreportph.org/p/i-killed-f...

DUTERTE’S HITMAN: Edgar Matobato’s History of Violence and a Shot at Redemption In this video interview shot nearly a decade ago, self-confessed Davao Death Squad member Edgar Matobato recounts a grisly life of violence and carnage unleashed, he said, by Rodrigo Duterte.

In this video interview I did nearly a decade ago, self-confessed Davao Death Squad killer Edgar Matobato recounts a grisly life of violence and carnage unleashed, he said, by Rodrigo Duterte.

STORY & VIDEO WILL BE PUBLISHED AT 8:03 AM 02/27 MANILA TIME.

open.substack.com/pub/rightsre...

Some takeaways from Duterte defense this morning:
* No evidence to link Duterte to any killing
* There is no “common plan” among co-perpetrators
* Prosecution relied too much on “self-incriminating” Duterte speeches to show criminal intent.

#DutertePanagutin #DuterteAtTheICC

DEDUTERTEFICATION: Purging the Duterte Virus Read my latest oped for the Inquirer, where I reflect on the unsettling pride of his supporters and why we must stand against it.

DEDUTERTEFICATION: Purging the Duterte Virus

Read my latest oped for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where I reflect on the unsettling pride of his supporters and why we must stand against it.
opinion.inquirer.net/190025/dedut...

Also here: carlosconde.substack.com/p/dedutertef...

International Community Needs to 'Walk the Talk' on Accountability for Rights Abuses The UN, the EU, the diplomatic community take pride in helping to improve the rights situation in the Philippines. But when it comes to accountability for "drug war" abuses, they've come up short.

International Community Needs to 'Walk the Talk' on Accountability for Rights Abuses in the Philippines

#drugwar #duterte

www.rightsreportph.org/p/internatio...

YouTube video by Carlos Conde Ano ang nangyari sa loob ng ICC kahapon, bakit may mga 'mini-Dutertes,' at bakit sila maka-diyos

I talk about the ICC hearing yesterday (Tagalog).

Ano ang nangyari sa loob ng ICC kahapon, bakit may mga 'mini-Dutertes,' at bakit sila maka-diyos - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYfu...

Joel Butuyan's opening speech at the ICC yesterday is the anti-virus (against impunity) that every Filipino needs right now.

WATCH: 'ICC Is Good but Marcos Needs to Do More' Former Bayan Muna congressman Neri Colmenares says going back to the ICC is among the steps President Marcos can take if he's serious about accountability.

'ICC Is Good but Marcos Needs to Do More'

Former Bayan Muna congressman Neri Colmenares says going back to the ICC is among the steps President Marcos can take if he's serious about accountability. #DutertePanagutin #NeriColmenares

Watch the video: www.rightsreportph.org/p/watch-icc-...

As Rodrigo Duterte faces crimes against humanity charges at the ICC in The Hague this week, it's important to revisit and highlight the efforts of one man to bring justice to those murdered by the former president's Davao Death Squad.

The Priest, Duterte's Death Squad, and the ICC Weeks before he died in May 2024, Father Amado Picardal wished that the feud between the Marcoses and the Dutertes would lead to the political demise of the Dutertes.

Weeks before he died in May 2024, Father Amado Picardal wished that the feud between the Marcoses and the Dutertes would lead to the political demise of the Dutertes.

The Priest, Duterte's Death Squad, and the ICC
www.rightsreportph.org/p/the-priest...

Maraming Dahilan Kung Bakit Kailangan Panagutin si Duterte sa ICC Takot na takot ang mga kamag-anak ng mga biktima ng “drug war” ni Rodrigo Dutere pero nanaig ang paghangad ng hustisya kaya sila dumulog sa ICC. -- Dr. Aurora Parong

My interview (in Tagalog) with Dr. Aurora Parong, co-chairperson of the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court, on why ex-president Rodrigo Duterte needs to be held accountabile for the horrors of the "drug war." @rightsreportph.bsky.social

www.rightsreportph.org/p/maraming-d...

@rightsreportPH founder and editor Carlos Conde is interviewed by DZMM's Christian Yosores and Victoria Tulad live from The Hague about the significance of the confirming of charges hearings on the case of former president Rodrigo Duterte, which begins on Monday.

WATCH this excerpt of my conversation with with @HRW's @me_vignoli on the case against Rodrigo Duterte.

BREAKING: ICC Grants Duterte Request Not to Attend Hearings The decision allows the high-profile proceedings against the former Philippines president to move forward in his absence.

BREAKING: ICC Grants Duterte Request Not to Attend Hearings

The decision allows the high-profile proceedings against the former Philippines president to move forward in his absence.

www.rightsreportph.org/p/breaking-i...

This Week on Human Rights in the Philippines 🇵🇭 A Rights Report Philippines human rights briefing covering the period Feb. 13-20, 2026.

Duterte at the ICC; Bail Denied for Frenchie Mae Cumpio; Red-Tagging, Killings and Ongoing Impunity

This Week on Human Rights in the Philippines 🇵🇭 www.rightsreportph.org/p/this-week-...

Why I take the ICC probe personally I’ve spent years documenting former President Rodrigo Duterte’s killing machine—first in Davao City in the 1990s, then nationwide during his drug war. What’s happening at the International

Why I take the ICC probe personally

I’ve spent years documenting former President Rodrigo Duterte’s killing machine—first in Davao City in the 1990s, then nationwide during his drug war.

opinion.inquirer.net/189835/why-i...

The Children Damaged by Duterte’s ‘Drug War’ The harm the “drug war” did to children extends far beyond those who were killed. It produced a generation of orphans living in a state of profound psychological, economic, and social collapse.

The Children Damaged by Duterte’s ‘Drug War’

@rightsreportPH: The harm the “drug war” did to children extends far beyond those who were killed. It produced a generation of orphans living in a state of profound psychological, economic, and social collapse.

www.rightsreportph.org/p/the-childr...

Introducing: Nonprofit Human Rights Journalism in the Philippines The task of Rights Report Philippines is simple: We cover the news, events, and issues that concern the Philippines through a human rights lens.

Introducing: Nonprofit Human Rights Journalism in the Philippines

The task of @rightsreportPH is simple: We cover the news, events, and issues that concern the Philippines through a human rights lens.

carlosconde.substack.com/p/introducin...

Hundreds Murdered by Hitmen Inspired by Duterte's 'Davao Death Squad'

The ICC trial of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is the necessary antidote to this contagion of state-sanctioned murder in the Philippines. #TagumDeathSquad

substack.com/@rightsrepor...

Untouchable No More: As Duterte Faces ICC Charges, His Anguished Victims Cling to Hope for Justice The ICC has disclosed that an additional 500 victims of Rodrigo Duterte’s “drug war” have been included in its lists of participants in the confirmation of charges hearing scheduled this month.

Untouchable No More: As Duterte Faces ICC Charges, His Anguished Victims Cling to Hope for Justice

rightsreportph.substack.com/p/untouchabl...

ICC to Philippine Law Enforcers: "Just Following Orders" Won’t Protect You from Justice The ICC’s latest move to go after other law enforcement officials – Duterte’s “co-conspirators” – could signal the end of a longstanding culture of impunity in the Philippine National Police.

ICC to Philippine Law Enforcers: "Just Following Orders" Won’t Protect You from Justice rightsreportph.substack.com/p/icc-to-phi...

Duterte's Co-Conspirators in ICC Raps Identified, Among Them Senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go, Ex-Justice Chief Aguirre "Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals in the Philippines" through murder, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I said in the document.

Sitting Philippines Senators, Ex-Justice Secretary, Ex-Police Chiefs Identifid as Duterte's Co-Conspirators in ICC Raps
rightsreportph.substack.com/p/dutertes-c...

Cumpio and the wider war on dissent The arrest and prolonged detention of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who spent her birthday on Feb. 7 in a Tacloban jail, sparked outrage among press freedom advocates worldwide. Rightly so.

My first post-HRW oped.

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The same apparatus of repression bearing down on journalists is also crushing the broader civil society, often with deadlier consequences and far less international attention.

opinion.inquirer.net/189657/cumpi...

Tsinador, that brilliant new word coined COMMENTARY: Llamas used the term,Tsinador, to describe certain political leaders and influencers whom he accused of prioritizing Chinese interests over Philippine sovereignty, specifically regarding t...

It's a play on "Tsina" (China) and "senador" (senator) -- some Filipino legislators who bend over backward in supporting China over the West Philippine Sea issue.

Tsinador, that brilliant new word coined - VERA Files verafiles.org/articles/tsi...

Bulatlat: news, reports and commentary Save as PDF

The people were angry. The streets were on fire. And a new regime was still trying to find its footing. It was just the right moment.

The Birth of Bulatlat.com - by Carlos H. Conde carlosconde.substack.com/p/the-birth-...

RIP, WaPo.

How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post The Amazon founder bought the paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he’s forced it into severe decline.

Not to diminish the suffering or add salt to the wound of those affected by this decimation of The Post, but this is just as well. Because no oligarch should own a news outlet.

How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post | The New Yorker www.newyorker.com/news/annals-...

Here's How to Fix the Crisis in Philippine Education The EDCOM II Final Report offers an extensive evaluation of the Philippine education system, highlighting a profound learning crisis fueled by decades of underinvestment and fragmented governance.

Here's How to Fix the Crisis in Philippine Education carlosconde.substack.com/p/heres-how-...

Bucking a Global Trend, Spain Offers Undocumented Migrants a Legal Way to Stay

Remarkable.

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Spain Offers Undocumented Migrants a Legal Way to Stay - The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/w...