News
December 7, 2022 | Virtual Launch | AMP-Report: Human Rights in the Philippines
In this year’s commemoration of Human Rights Day on December 10, the Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen (AMP) publishes its fourth report “Human Rights in the Philippines.” The report describes the pattern of human rights violations during former President...
UN Human Rights Council: No further resolution on Philippines
Despite the tireless efforts of national and international human rights groups in calling attention to the devastating human rights situation in the Philippines, the UN Human Rights Council ended its 51st session in Geneva on October 7, 2022, without passing another...
Strong criticism against Marcos’ CHR nominations
After more than 80 days of waiting, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on September 27, 2022, the nomination of Richard Palpal-latoc as the new chair of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Beda Angeles Epres as the first of the three new CHR commissioners,...
Second journalist murdered since Marcos took office
Unknown persons shot dead radio commentator Percival Mabasa - or also called Percy Lapid – while riding a motorbike on Monday October 3, 2022, in Las Piñas City in Metro-Manila. Lapid was known as “a fearless broadcaster" who criticised Duterte's so-called "war on...
Controversial SIM card registration law passed
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the long-controversial SIM card registration law (Republic Act 11934) on October 10, 2022. This is the first legislative measure enacted during his term in office. It requires all SIM card users to register with their mobile...
Police chief wants to reform anti-drug campaign through “holistic” approach
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. announced on October 3, 2022, that he intends to copy the strategy of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in combating the country's illegal drug problem. In doing...
Lack of human rights accountability could threaten important EU trade benefits
The grave human rights situation in the Philippines remains a factor of concern for the European Union’s (EU) decision to maintain or withdraw its trade privileges under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) with the island nation. This is what officials...
Police tried to prevent US-Delegation visit to De Lima
The Philippine National Police (PNP) prevented a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Senator Edward Markey from visiting former Senator Leila De Lima at the detention center Camp Crame in Quezon City on August 18, 2022. The reason was an alleged lack of permits as well as the...
Marcos government rejects ICC investigation, extrajudicial killings continue
On 8 September 2022, the Philippine government announced that it would reject the request of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reopen the investigation into the numerous extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the context of former President...
Cyber-libel turned into a political weapon against critical voices
The progressive politician, social activist, and scholar Walden Bello was arrested on August 8, 2022, due to cyber-libel charges. His arrest was widely criticised. After spending a night in jail and paying a bail of 96,000 pesos, the 76-year-old activist was released....
Human rights defenders accused of terror-financing
The church-based human rights group Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao (RMP-NMR) is accused of terrorist financing, based on a statement issued by the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) on August 15, 2022. Among the 16 accused individuals are...
President Marcos silent on human rights in first SONA
On June 30, 2022, the leadership of the Philippine government transitioned from President Rodrigo Duterte to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. International human rights groups like Human Rights Watch (HRW) called...
NTF-ELCAC: “Peace engagements” instead of peace talks with communist rebels
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) would be open to peace negotiations with the Marcos government, stated founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Jose Maria Sison in June 2022. On August 3, 2022, presidential peace...
Anti-Terrorism Act is no basis for NTC to block websites
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to block the access of at least 30 websites of different groups - including alternative media outlets and progressive groups such as Bulatlat, Save our Schools...
Wrongfully arrested Tinang83 are rightful landowners
After conducting “bungkalan”, meaning “land cultivation to assert ownership”, the police arrested at least 87 persons without a warrant of arrest in the town of Concepcion in Tarlac province on June 9, 2022. Among the arrested people were several small-scale farmers,...
President Marcos has no intention to rejoin the International Criminal Court
On August 1, 2022, President Marcos announced that the Philippines has no intention to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC). He claims that the government was already investigating the alleged crimes under the previous Duterte administration in the context of...
Government hindered Commission on Human Rights investigation on extralegal killings
The Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) released its April 2022 "Report on investigated killings related to the anti-illegal drug campaign" on May 18, 2022. The report extends investigative findings previously published in 2021. Such independent investigations...
Tighter restrictions on press freedom under Marcos expected
With the election of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as the Philippines' new president, fears of further restrictions on freedom of press have been raised. Tendencies in this regard continue to emerge shortly after the election. On May 11, 2022, during the first press...
Marcos-Duterte tandem wins – The election of the dynasties
On May 25, 2022, the Philippine Congress officially declared Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.) as the new president and Sara Duterte-Carpio (daughter of the still incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte) as vice president. The...
Protests after presidential election
With the emerging results of the presidential election on May 9, 2022, broad civil society resistance and unrest erupted. Not surprisingly, supporters of the political opposition and several activists were in dismay about the landslide victory of Ferdinand "Bongbong"...