A Filipino Catholic priest who publicly opposed former President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly anti-drug campaign and provided dignified burials for slain suspects has been named a winner of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Awards, often regarded as Asia's Nobel Prize.
The priest, a former drug user who was ordained in 2006, founded the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Centre in 2015, offering food, clothing and shelter to thousands in need. During Duterte's crackdown, which left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead, he led efforts to locate bodies and raise funds for proper cremation and burial, also establishing a memorial shrine for victims.
His activism led to accusations of sedition under Duterte, but the charge was dropped in 2023. The award foundation noted that death threats continued. Duterte was arrested in March on an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged crimes against humanity over the killings.
Other winners include Educate Girls, an Indian non-profit founded by Safeena Husain that has brought over two million girls into schools across more than 30,000 villages, and Shaahina Ali, a Maldivian diver who launched a movement against plastic pollution through cleanups and recycling.
The awards, named after a popular Philippine president who died in a 1957 plane crash, honour 'greatness of spirit' through selfless service. Winners will be presented with their awards in Manila on 7 November.
