News
Killing of Baltazar: police officer convicted
On February 27, 2024, a Philippine court sentenced police officer Gerry Maliban to four years in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Jerhode "Jemboy" Baltazar during a police operation on August 2, 2023, in Navotas in Metro Manila. Instead of receiving a sentence of...
CHR calls for revision of NTF-ELCAC mandate
In a statement dated February 12, 2024, the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) called for a review and reassessment of the mandate of the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). The CHR recommendation came after...
Marcos plans constitutional amendment for midterm elections
Shortly before his state visit to Australia at the end of February 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared that he intends to hold a national referendum on the planned amendment to the country's constitution in parallel with the mid-term elections in May 2025....
Protection order for previously abducted environmental activists in danger
On February 21, 2024, the Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines (OSG) filed a motion to lift a protection order for two environmental activists, Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano. The protection order was issued by the Supreme Court at the beginning of...
Marcos Jr. meets Federal Chancellor Scholz: human rights not a priority
On 12 March 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz received Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Berlin. In a subsequent press conference, the two explained that the talks centered on strengthening economic relations between the two countries, tensions and...
Marcos once again: ICC has no jurisdiction in Philippines
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated that he does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and that he does not support the ongoing investigation in the country. The ICC is investigating alleged crimes against humanity in the...
Philippines-Australia strengthen bilateral cooperation without human rights
As part of his two-day state visit to Australia, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries in light of increasing regional political tensions in the Indo-Pacific in a speech to the Federal...
AMP-Statement: Human rights violations in Philippines remain rampant under President Marcos Jr.
On March 12, 2024, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will receive Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Berlin. The state visit will also honor 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Labor migration to Germany as well as climate and coastal...
Marcos praises alleged successes of anti-drug campaign
In its new anti-drug campaign of 2022, the so-called "BIDA" programme, the Philippine government under President Marcos Jr. has placed a central focus on rehabilitation and reducing the demand for drugs in the fight against illegal drugs. On January 9, 2024, the...
UN Special Rapporteur Khan: Freedom of opinion and press in Philippines critical
Following a two-week visit to the Philippines, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, found the threat to Filipino journalists and human rights activists critical. During a press conference in Manila on February 2, 2024, Khan made a...
German Foreign Minister visited Philippines
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock travelled to the Philippines on January 11, 2024, in order to strengthen bilateral diplomatic relations. Baerbock met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo. Among others, she expressed her concern...
Marcos continues to reject ICC investigation
Since the reopening of the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation in January 2023 into the so-called "war on drugs" under Rodrigo Duterte - during his time as President of the Philippines and Mayor of Davao City (2011-2019), the Philippine government under...
Rising tensions in the Marcos-Duterte alliance
The "Uni-Team-Alliance" of the families of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, which helped to shape their election victory in 2022, is now facing increased internal conflicts and tensions. In January 2024, President Marcos Jr. and...
Resumption of peace talks with NDFP
In December 2023, the Philippine government announced the resumption of peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which had been on hold since 2018. The agreement was recorded in a joint statement on 23 November in Oslo, Norway. The...
New procedural rules on the Anti-Terrorism Act
On January 1, 2024, the Supreme Court (SC) issued a set of procedural rules governing all petitions and applications in relation with the problematic Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020; the rules came into force on January 15. The new "Rules on the ATA of 2020 and...
Leila De Lima free on bail, Marcos considers rejoining ICC
Former senator and opposition politician Leila de Lima was released on bail in the amount of PHP 300,000 on November 13, 2023, after more than six years in prison. De Lima thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for upholding the independence of the court and the rule...
EU-PH relations: human rights conditionality less credible
On October 26, 2023, representatives of the European Commission and the Philippine government met in Brussels for the third meeting of the Subcommittee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the EU-Philippines Partnership and Cooperation Agreement...
UN Special Rapporteur recommends NTF-ELCAC abolition
Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights in the context of climate change, made a series of critical policy recommendations towards the Philippine government on how to improve the human rights situation during a press conference in Manila on...
Previously abducted environmental activists charged with perjury
The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) announced on October 18, 2023, that it had filed charges of alleged perjury against environmental activists Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano, who were abducted and surfaced again in September 2023. Castro and Tamano had...
Death threat: Rodrigo Duterte receives subpoena
On October 24, 2023, France Castro, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list group, filed a criminal complaint against former President Rodrigo Duterte for serious threats to her life. This was due to...