News
Detention of two UCCP Pastors and three other human rights defenders in June
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Pastor Benjie Gomez was arrested on June 6, 2021, in Nothern Zamboanga. Gomez, administrative pastor and Lumad advocate, had an arrest warrant for alleged murder. He was already arrested upon trumped-up charges back in...
Philippines again under supervision because of ‚gray‘ financial flows
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a Paris-based dirty money watchdog, decided on June 25, 2021, to include the Philippines on it’s “gray list” again. After failing to properly “address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering,...
Duterte one of the 37 „Press freedom predators“
Reporters Sans Frontière (RSF; Reporters Without Borders) published its list of global "Press freedom predators" on July 5, 2021. This year Rodrigo Duterte was listed for the first time as a "predator since taking office," alongside 36 other heads of government or...
Two minors killed in government operation
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is deeply concerned by the death of Johndy Maglinte Helis, 16 years old, and Angel Rivas, 12 years old. UNICEF calls on the Philippine government to hold accountable the officers involved and points to the Convention on the...
2022 elections: Duterte tandem risks renewed dictatorship
With regard to the end of Rodrigo Duterte's term in May 2022, he and his daughter Sara Duterte (mayor of Davao City) announced their intention to run in the 2022 national elections as a Duterte-Duterte tandem – the daughter as presidential candidate and the father for...
Formation of a new paramilitary unit
Human rights organizations, the Philippine National Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and members of the Senate and House of Representatives are concerned about the new formation of the Global Coalition of Lingkod Bayan Advocacy Support Groups and Force Multipliers...
International Criminal Court (ICC) examines investigation
On June 14, 2021, Fatou Bensouda, the (now former) Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), filed the formal 57-page request for judicial authorization to investigate crimes against humanity in the context of the so-called war on drugs. According to...
Duterte’s spokesman nominated for UN’s International Law Commission
Duterte and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin officially nominated Harry Roque, presidential spokesman, to be elected as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC) of the United Nations (UN) in November 2021 for a five-year term starting January 2023....
Duterte lifts ban on new mining agreements
With signing the Executive Order No. 30 (EO 30) on April 14, Rodrigo Duterte lifts a nine year’s ban on new mining projects. The possibility of new mining deals and the revisions of existing contracts and agreements is alarming for environmentalists. Dr. Jean Lindo,...
Red-Tagging of Community Pantries
Since mid-April, Community Pantries have been springing up all over the Philippines: self-organized, donation-based food distribution points to support people who have no financial means (anymore) due to the pandemic. On April 14, Ana Patricia Non initiated the first...
Human rights violations during the Enhanced Community Quarantine
Senator Leila de Lima is calling for an investigation into the human rights violations during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), which has been extended until April 11. Two people have died after being punished by police officers for violating the imposed...
Extrajudicial killings (EJK) in May
On April 15, the activist Jesus Passon Jr was shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists in Silay City in Negros Occidental. The series of extrajudicial killings in the severely affected Negros Occidental continues. Passon was a member of the Pasil Homeowners Association...
186 killings within the first quarter of 2021
The number of drug-related killings reached 186 for the first three months of the year 2021, according to the research and documentation project Dahas. Compared to the last quartal of 2020 this means an increase of 44 %. With 137 cases, the majority of the murders...
Judicial system still fails to protect threatened activists
The rights group Karapatan together with women's groups network Gabriela and the church-based CSO Rural Missionaries of the Philippines reached out to the Supreme Court on April 26, 2021, for the second time to grant their members protection due to the continuous...
World Press Freedom Day: Maria Ressa awarded while Philippine state of Press Freedom worsens
On the eve of the World Press Freedom Day (May 3), Maria Ressa received the UNESCO press freedom award (or Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize), recognizing her essential work and effort for fighting against disinformation and for freedom of speech in the...
Increasing pressure on lawyers and judges
Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio, who has freed journalist Lady Ann Salem of the charges agains her and granted her release has been red-tagged on a tarpaulin displayed in public. This event is only one in a line of threats against members of the jurisdiction. State...
Philippines still withdrawing from International Criminal Court (ICC)
The Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines stands by its decision to withdraw from the ICC. Petitions against this decision have been qualified as "moot" and been dismissed. Salvador Panelo, presidential spokesperson said: "The ICC has no jurisdiction over the...
Report on human rights situation issued
In March 2021, the organisation Investigate PH has issued a report on the situation of human rights in the Philippines. Investigate PH, a international coalition of civil, political and legal organizations, was founded in January 2021 after the latest resolution of UN...
New law discards presumption of innocence
The new House Bill 7814 which has been passed on March 2, 2021, according to which suspects regardless of their actual involvement can be detained for being allegedly involved in drug trade, is being harshly criticized by leftist lawmakers. They claim the new law is...
Bloody Sunday sparks discussions about the handling of warrants
After the massacre known as the "Bloody Sunday" there has been increasing pressure on the Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in regards to the issuing and handling of search warrants. Human rights advocates are asking for clear rules when it comes...