'Biking priest' Fr. Amado Picardal passes away

The priest who documented the killings in Davao City attributed to a "death squad" has passed away at 69 years old, according to the Redemptorist Province of Cebu.

In a statement posted on Facebook, provincial superior Fr. Edilberto Cepe said Fr. Amado “Picx” Picardal passed away 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,” Cepe said.

“May the light and joy that he left this world radiate through us as we continue to become beacons of truth and social transformation. Please join us in praying for his eternal repose as he now finally joins our Redeemer,” he added.

Cepe said the details of the wake and funeral have yet to be announced.

Picardal, also known as the "biking priest," is the spokesperson of the Coalition Against Summary Execution, which monitored Davao Death squad killings and assisted the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Watch to investigate the said killings.

He also wrote numerous reports regarding the DDS and their victims on his personal blog. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News