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...

Police chief wants to reform anti-drug campaign through “holistic” approach

24. October 2022 | "War on Drugs", Human Rights News, Internal Affairs, International Institutions

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. announced on October 3, 2022, that he intends to copy the strategy of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in combating the country’s illegal drug problem. In...

Police tried to prevent US-Delegation visit to De Lima

19. September 2022 | Human Rights News, Internal Affairs

The Philippine National Police (PNP) prevented a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Senator Edward Markey from visiting former Senator Leila De Lima at the detention center Camp Crame in Quezon City on August 18, 2022. The reason was an alleged lack of permits as well as the...

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...

NTF-ELCAC: “Peace engagements” instead of peace talks with communist rebels

15. August 2022 | Human Rights News, Internal Affairs

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) would be open to peace negotiations with the Marcos government, stated founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Jose Maria Sison in June 2022. On August 3, 2022, presidential peace...

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,...