Mother of slain welder takes fight to Truth Commission

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Nine years after her son was gunned down in the streets of Tondo, a grieving mother is taking her fight for justice and accountability to the public.

Nanette Castillo will take the stand this Friday, October 23, during the Truth Commission’s 5th Public Truth-Telling Session held at Adamson University in Manila.

In an emailed advisory on Tuesday, the commission said that Castillo is set to recount the October 2017 killing of her 32-year-old son, Aldrin, a welder who only went to Tondo to repair his sister’s air conditioner.

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READ: Truth Commission seeks probe into ‘drug war’ rewardsAccording to police reports, two motorcycle-riding gunmen approached Aldrin near Herbosa and Tioco streets, taking turns shooting him before fleeing the scene.

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Investigators recovered five spent cartridges—two from a .45 caliber pistol and three from a .40 caliber firearm. Medical records show Aldrin sustained five gunshot wounds to the head, neck, chest, and abdomen.

In her affidavit, Castillo maintains her belief that her son was killed in a case of mistaken identity.

Since bringing her case to the Commission on Human Rights a month after the murder, “Nanay Nanette” has faced an uphill battle. In previous interviews, she detailed the agonizing difficulty of obtaining police records and the persistent fear paralyzing potential witnesses.

Rather than retreat, she has channeled her grief into advocacy.

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Castillo has become a fixture at public protests, volunteered with the support network Rise Up for Life and for Rights, and worked at Silingan Coffee — a social enterprise supporting families orphaned by the bloody anti-drug campaign.

READ: Truth Commission to Marcos: Continue serving ICC arrest orders

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Friday’s session, running from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Co Po Ty Audio Visual Room, will lay bare the family’s pursuit of justice and the systemic hurdles facing bereaved families.

A press conference will immediately follow her testimony.

Launched in May 2026, the Truth Commission is an independent, civilian-led body dedicated to documenting killings and rights violations linked to the government’s bloody war on drugs.

READ: Truth Commission working on unified registry of drug war killingsChaired by former International Criminal Court Judge Raul C. Pangalangan and advised by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the panel aims to preserve testimony, support survivors, and push for accountability and institutional reform.

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The commission’s roster includes forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, Dr. Al Fuertes, and Carlos Conde, with Dr. Christopher N. Magno serving as executive director./coa