News
Limited cooperation of PNP with CHR hampers investigations
Three years into President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration, tensions persist between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) over investigating extrajudicial killings (EJKs) linked to Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on...
UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan criticizes Philippine government’s shortcomings on freedom of expression
In a report presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on June 18, 2025, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression Irene Khan gave a critical assessment on the situation of human rights in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,...
Rodrigo Duterte faces growing isolation as ICC case advances
Rodrigo Duterte is facing growing international isolation as he awaits trial in the Netherlands for crimes against humanity. Once known for his iron-fisted so-called "war on drugs," the former Philippine president is now facing charges before the International...
Trans rights activist and former journalist killed in General Santos
Trans rights and human rights advocate Ali Jejhon Macalintal, 39, was shot dead on June 23, 2025, in her acupuncture clinic in General Santos City. A former journalist, Macalintal also served as deputy secretary general of the human rights group Karapatan for the...
Barangay official denies NPA finance officer allegation, cites mistaken identity
Carmilo Tabada, a barangay councilor and human rights activist from Trinidad, Bohol has come forward to strongly deny allegations linking him to the communist rebel group New People’s Army (NPA), following a news article published on May 25, 2025. The newspaper...
Leila de Lima acquitted again
Former senator and incoming Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Representative Leila de Lima has been acquitted again on June 27, 2025, by the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) of drug charges due to reasonable doubt. The case, filed during former President Rodrigo...
Senate may dismiss Sara Duterte impeachment case, says Senate President Escudero
The Senate impeachment court could decide by a simple majority - at least 13 votes - whether to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, according to Senate President and Presiding Officer Francis Escudero. Speaking at a June 25, 2025, press...
Human rights groups warn against Marcos Jr.’s new approach to police anti-drug policy
Human rights advocates in the Philippines have raised concerns following General Nicolas Torre III’s announcement that one of his anti-drug strategies is to track the number of arrests made by police officers as part of their performance metrics. Torre made this...
Can Rodrigo Duterte serve as mayor of Davao City?
Rodrigo Duterte’s term as Davao City mayor is set to begin on June 30, 2025 but he is still detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, awaiting his confirmation of charges hearing on September 23. The former president of the Philippines...
Cernet 27 trial stalls as AMLC fails to present evidence
The terrorism financing case against the Philippine non-governmental organization (NGO) Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET) and 27 individuals who were affiliated with CERNET (referred to as “Cernet 27”) has encountered another legal setback as the...
EU election observers report violence, vote-buying and “red-tagging” in Philippines’ mid-term elections
Violent incidents, including at least 30 killings of candidates and election officials, marred the recently concluded midterm polls in the Philippines. This was reported by the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) at a press conference in Manila last...
Pastor Nathaniel “Dodo” Vallente acquitted
The second trumped-up charge of illegal possession of firearms against United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Pastor Nathaniel “Dodo” Vallente were dismissed by the Regional Trial Court in Bohol on June 5, 2025, as the prosecution failed to establish facts...
‘Functional Dismissal?’: Senate action sparks dispute over Sara Duterte impeachment
After being sworn in as judges for the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte on June 10, 2025, the Philippine Senate voted to return the impeachment complaint to the House of Representatives. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa initially sought to dismiss...
“Red-tagging” dominates 2025 mid-term elections violations, watchdogs warned
Election watchdogs raised concerns over a sharp rise in campaign violations as Filipin@s casted their votes on Monday, May 12, 2025 for the congressional and local government elections with so-called “red-tagging” emerging as the most widespread and alarming offense...
Court dismisses terror financing charges against PDG
The Iloilo Regional Trial Court denied on April 22, 2025, a motion for reconsideration in a terrorism financing case against Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group's (PDG) staff and individuals affiliated with PDG, reaffirming a previous dismissal from March 14 due...
Targeting dissent: Enforced disappearances under Marcos Jr.
Pauline Joy Banjawan, a volunteer campaign coordinator for party-list Bayan Muna in Southern Tagalog and an organizer for the urban poor rights group Kadamay Southern Tagalog, was reported missing on April 26, 2025, after she reported being followed by suspicious...
Duterte’s ICC case: Legal experts clash on Rome Statute interpretation
The interpretation of the Rome Statute, especially in relation to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) jurisdiction following a state's withdrawal, is a key point in the ongoing legal debate surrounding the case of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at...
Duterte dynasty grows amid ICC detention and impeachment threats
Former President Rodrigo Duterte has won the mayoral election in Davao City on May 12, 2025, even while being detained in The Hague by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the human rights violations committed in his so-called "war on drugs."...
AMP-Statement: On fabricated charges against NGOs in the Philippines
The Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte – Philippinen (AMP) condemns the high number of fabricated charges filed against NGOs, development workers, and human rights defenders by the Philippine government for allegedly violating the domestic “Terrorism Financing Prevention...
Terrorism financing charges target human rights advocates
Jasmin Jerusalem, executive director of the Leyte Center for Development (LCDe), reappeared in court on March 25, 2025, after charges against her were reinstated following an appeal by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). The case was dismissed for...