Fr. Amado “Picx” Picardal Death, Priest Who First Documented Davao Death Squad Killings Has Passed Away: Fr. Edilberto Cepe, the provincial superior of the Redemptorist Province of Cebu, announced Fr. Picardal’s passing on Wednesday, May 29. “Fr. Picx was a brilliant and courageous missionary. He was a passionate advocate of peace and social justice and a professor of theology who has touched and transformed the lives of many. May the light and joy that he left this world radiate through us as we continue to become beacons of truth and social transformation,” Cepe said in a statement.
Remarkably, on the same day of his passing, Fr. Picardal posted a poem on his social media to mark the 47th year of his religious life. A Redemptorist priest, Picardal was known for his steadfast commitment to peace and human rights advocacy. He held a doctoral degree in theology from the Gregorian University and served as the executive co-secretary of the Commission of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation of the Union of Superiors General in Rome, Italy.
In 2018, Picardal chose to live as a hermit in the mountains to embrace “a life of solitude, silence, and prayer.” However, this plan was interrupted due to threats against his life. Fr. Picardal was a key member of the Coalition Against Summary Executions, documenting the alleged DDS killings during the tenure of former president Rodrigo Duterte as mayor of Davao City. Picardal’s work from 1977 to 1981 and from 1995 to 2011 provided critical evidence for human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, in their reporting on DDS-related deaths. His meticulous documentation was also instrumental in the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the killings under Duterte’s administration.
In 2018, Picardal recounted a harrowing encounter with the DDS. He received information on August 11 that six men on motorcycles, wearing full-faced helmets, had positioned themselves near the entrance of the monastery in Cebu where he resided. The men were seen at the usual time he would leave the monastery, underscoring the imminent threat to his life. Fr. Picardal’s legacy as a defender of human rights and advocate for social justice will continue to inspire many. His fearless efforts in documenting and exposing the truth about the DDS killings have left an indelible mark on the fight for justice in the Philippines.
