MANILA, Philippines – Fr. Amado “Picx” Picardal, the priest who first documented the Davao Death Squad (DDS) killings, has passed away at 69 years old. 

Fr. Edilberto Cepe, provincial superior of Redemptorist Province of Cebu, announced 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. 

On Wednesday, Picardal even posted a poem on his social media to mark the 47th year of his religious life. 

A Redemptorist priest, Picardal is known for his peace and human rights advocacy. He held a doctoral degree in theology from the Gregorian University, and was 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 decided to be a hermit in the mountains for “a life of solitude, silence, and prayer.” But this plan was put on hold after receiving a threat against his life. 

The priest was part of the Coalition Against Summary Executions, where he documented the alleged DDS killings when former president Rodrigo Duterte was Davao City mayor. Picardal was based on Duterte’s turf from 1977 to 1981, and from 1995 to 2011. 

The alleged DDS killings were part of the International Criminal Court’s probe into the killings under Duterte. Picardal’s documentation of the so-called killings was the basis for human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, reporting about DDS-related deaths. 

In 2018, Picardal shared his “close call” with the DDS. He shared that he got information on August 11, around six men onboard motorcycles “with full-faced helmets” positioned themselves near the entrance of the monastery in Cebu where he stayed. The men were spotted in the area at the usual time he would go out. – Rappler.com