UN Human Rights Council: No further resolution on Philippines

24. October 2022 | Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights News, International Institutions

Despite the tireless efforts of national and international human rights groups in calling attention to the devastating human rights situation in the Philippines, the UN Human Rights Council ended its 51st session in Geneva on October 7, 2022, without passing another...

Second journalist murdered since Marcos took office

24. October 2022 | Freedom of Press, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights News, Internal Affairs

Unknown persons shot dead radio commentator Percival Mabasa – or also called Percy Lapid – while riding a motorbike on Monday October 3, 2022, in Las Piñas City in Metro-Manila. Lapid was known as “a fearless broadcaster” who criticised Duterte’s...

Human rights defenders accused of terror-financing

19. September 2022 | Freedom of Press, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights News

The church-based human rights group Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao (RMP-NMR) is accused of terrorist financing, based on a statement issued by the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) on August 15, 2022. Among the 16 accused individuals are...

President Marcos silent on human rights in first SONA

15. August 2022 | Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights News, Internal Affairs

On June 30, 2022, the leadership of the Philippine government transitioned from President Rodrigo Duterte to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. International human rights groups like Human Rights Watch (HRW) called...

Wrongfully arrested Tinang83 are rightful landowners

15. August 2022 | Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights News, Internal Affairs

After conducting “bungkalan”, meaning “land cultivation to assert ownership”, the police arrested at least 87 persons without a warrant of arrest in the town of Concepcion in Tarlac province on June 9, 2022. Among the arrested people were several small-scale farmers,...

Detained Senator De Lima again exonerated

5. May 2022 | Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights News

Alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa withdrew his accusations against Senator Leila de Lima in a sworn affidavit. De Lima has already been imprisoned for more than five years on allegedly trumped-up and politically motivated charges. ‘Any statement he made against the...