News
EU-Philippines free trade agreement: Lawmakers, civil society groups call for legally binding safeguards for human rights and the environment
Lawmakers and human rights groups pressed for strong human rights and environmental safeguards as the European Union pushed forward with the conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Philippines during its seventh round of negotiations from June 29 to July 3,...
Court dismisses charges against bishop and indigenous rights advocates in Nueva Vizcaya
A municipal court in Nueva Vizcaya has dropped the charges against Bayombong Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao and other anti-mining advocates who had been opposing a mining exploration project in the province. The charges were filed after Indigenous communities, joined by...
Cordillera activists challenge terrorist designation
Four leaders of the Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance (CPA) filed an appeal at the Baguio City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on June 1, 2026, contesting the court’s earlier dismissal of their challenge to their terrorist designation. This appeal comes after the RTC’s April...
Civil society report highlights ongoing human rights challenges in the Philippines under President Marcos Jr.
A new report by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a collaboration between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has brought renewed attention to persistent human rights...
Senate opens impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte
The Philippine Senate began the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6, 2026, with Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero as the presiding officer. According to the pre-trial order from June 29, 2026, sessions are set for 2:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and...
Rodrigo Duterte waives ICC hearing appearance; Senator Dela Rosa remains fugitive
Former president Rodrigo Duterte waived his right to attend the second status conference of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III for his crimes-against-humanity case on June 23, 2026. Presiding Judge Joanna Korner stated that Duterte's absence was...
Joint Statement by EU CSO | EU-Philippines Free Trade Agreement: Trade Must Not Be Built on Human Rights Violations
Joint Statement by European Civil Society Organisations EU-Philippines Free Trade Agreement: Trade Must Not Be Built on Human Rights Violations The European Union (EU) is currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Philippines, presenting it as part of...
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...