News
Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC trial starts November 30
The International Criminal Court (ICC) will open the trial of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on November 30, 2026. ICC judges scheduled the trial date after the first status conference, held on May 27, 2026. During the status conference, case-related...
Civilian-led truth commission on drug war crimes established
A coalition of civil society groups, academics, and faith leaders launched the Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate and document drug-related killings and abuses during the so-called “war on drugs” under former President Rodrigo Duterte. The...
Human rights groups demand activists’ release
Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and church worker Marielle Domequil continue to contest their imprisonment and convictions for terrorism financing, while Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), deacon Aldeem Yañez is fighting his unlawful detention and the fabricated...
Philippines, EU set to sign free trade agreement
The Philippines intends to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) during the next round of negotiations scheduled in Brussels from June 29 to July 3, 2026. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Allan Gepty said after six...
Philippine court dismisses terrorism financing charges against CERNET
After three years of trial, a Cebu City regional trial court dismissed the terrorism financing charges against 27 current and former members of the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), a local non-governmental organization (NGO) on May 15, 2026. The case...
Senator “Bato” Dela Rosa on the run due to ICC warrant
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, a key figure in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs,” is now a fugitive wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Philippine authorities. Recap: What Happened in the Senate? After six months in...
Cotabato broadcaster shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen
Nestor Micator, a reporter for D’Empire Radio Broadcasting Network and a member of the local village council, was killed on May 2, 2026 in Barangay Fort Pikit, Malidegao town, Cotabato province. Police say two unidentified men on a motorcycle shot him in the head....
ICC upholds crimes against humanity charges for Rodrigo Duterte
The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has unanimously confirmed all charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on April 23, 2026. There are substantial grounds to believe, according to the...
New advocacy hub launched to safeguard human rights defenders
Human rights organizations from across the Philippines have launched Kalasag: Advocates’ Hub for Human Rights, Safety, and Protection, a national advocacy hub designed to protect human rights defenders (HRDs) amid escalating threats and attacks. The initiative,...
Online violence threatens women’s voices and democracy
Online violence against women human rights defenders, activists, and journalists has reached a critical level, threatening to exclude women from digital spaces. According to a 2025 UN Women report, the absence of strong countermeasures also poses a risk to undermining...
Journalist and activists killed in Toboso, Negros Occidental military operation
Nineteen people, including both New People’s Army (NPA) fighters and unarmed civilians, were killed on April 19, 2026, during a military operation in Barangay Salamanca in the province Negros Occidental, sparking national and international outrage and demands for an...
House impeaches Sara Duterte, Senate set up court
In a landmark decision on May 11, 2026, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, with 257 members in favor, 25 against, and 9 abstentions, to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. The Philippine Constitution requires at least one-third of House members, or...
CHR calls for legislation on “red-tagging”
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has issued a renewed and urgent plea for the passage of legislation specifically criminalizing the so-called “red-tagging” practice, following the release of its latest inquiry report on the issue. The commission’s findings show...
Killing of Negros Occidental journalist Julito Calo sparks press freedom concerns
Radio broadcaster Julito “Jaz” Calo was fatally shot on March 20, 2026, outside his residence in La Castellana, a municipality in Negros Occidental, Philippines. Calo, 49 years old, co-hosted a program on DNN News FM in Himamaylan City and worked for the local...
Rights groups seek release of arrested doctor and activists
A regional health group and human rights organizations are calling for the protection and release of physician Ana Marie “Doc Ana” Rilloraza, one of the seven alleged communist rebels arrested in a joint police and military raid on March 11, 2026. Rilloraza was...
Rodrigo Duterte faces another ICC hearing, daughter faces impeachment proceedings
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, are each set to face separate legal proceedings on April 22, 2026. Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, but he has...
Child rights advocate acquitted of rebellion after conviction built on 15-year-old warrant
The Philippine Court of Appeals has acquitted Salome "Nanay Sally" Ujano, a prominent women's and child rights advocate, releasing her after more than four years in detention on rebellion charges. The ruling from March 23, 2026, overturned a 2024 Taguig Regional Trial...
Rights groups decry harassment, arrests of activists in Negros and Iloilo
Human rights groups have raised alarm over a string of incidents targeting development workers and activists in Negros, Iloilo, and nearby provinces, citing harassment, intimidation, and what they describe as politically motivated arrests. Two coast guard personnel...
Court upholds terrorism financing conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio
A regional trial court in Tacloban City has affirmed the terrorism financing conviction of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and church worker Marielle Domequil, denying their motions for reconsideration and rejecting their bid for bail. On March 25, 2026,...
Trade deal advances as 105 unionist killings go unprosecuted
The Philippines and the EU are close to finalizing a free trade agreement, but labor groups warn that violence against workers is being ignored in negotiations. Since 2016, Workers' Rights Watch has documented 105 trade union killings in the Philippines, none of which...