The Philippines’ human rights situation is dire, with the number of extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and attacks against activists and critics unparalleled since the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.
This is made worse by the Duterte government’s inadequate and militarized response to the pandemic that has brought us to this: more than a million COVID-19 cases by May 2. Failed contact tracing, confusing protocols, delayed assistance to those who needed it most, incoherent policies, lack of transparency, and a slow vaccine rollout – all these have led to the abuse of basic human rights: the right to live, to work, to study, and to be protected by the state.
What can we do?
Several human rights groups and organizations including MovePH, Rappler’s civic engagement arm, have banded together for the “#CourageON: No lockdown on rights” coalition. The coalition aims to keep watch on abuses and violations and identify opportunities for collective action to promote and defend human rights.
Bookmark and refresh this page for campaigns, action points, and insights from partners of the #CourageON coalition, as well as news updates on the human rights situation in the Philippines.
LATEST UPDATES
Fewer Filipinos think it is dangerous to publish or air anything critical vs Duterte
Almost five in 10 Filipinos believe that it is dangerous to publish or broadcast anything that is critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s government, even if it is the truth.
A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from June 23 to 26 but released to the media only on Monday, October 4, showed that 45% of Filipinos agree that it is risky to air or publish sentiments that are critical of the administration.
25% disagreed, while 28% were undecided.
The recent SWS survey is a huge drop from a similar survey conducted in November 2020. Read more here.
As calls to say #NoToPAREX mount, questions surrounding the project have cropped up: How does PAREX affect us? Why are groups opposing this? Why is this a big deal?
In the sixth episode of the “#CourageON: Tumindig, Makialam, Kumilos” community show, we answer these questions and more with experts and residents.
The community show, organized by Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, aims to put the spotlight on pressing issues in the Philippines and the ways we can take collective action on them. This episode is also co-organized by AltMobility PH.
How can we prevent history from repeating itself? We can start with engaging with our peers and our communities.
Grassroots activists and Martial Law survivors expressed this sentiment during the fifth episode of MovePH’s “#CourageON: Tumindig,makialam, kumilos” community show in partnership with Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment on Saturday, September 25.
Several activists and Martial Law survivors echoed concerns of militarization and efforts to undermine dissent, as well as their impact on local communities. Just recently, the 2021 Global Witness report cited the Philippines as the deadliest country for land defenders in Asia for the eighth straight year.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the drug war killings highlights the need for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) to take stronger action against violence and impunity under President Rodrigo Duterte.
It further highlights the misstep of the UN HRC in October 2020 when it only offered “technical assistance” to the Duterte government accused of widespread human rights violations. It could have instead looked at a full investigation into these violations.
For Davao lawyer who lost family members in drug war, ICC is no guarantee for justice
Grace Cantal-Albasin
Davao City-based lawyer Dexter Lopoz saw impunity up close and personal.
He belongs to a family that has lost two members, lawyers at that, to the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs – and they, like the thousands of mostly ordinary families, felt helpless in an environment where laws seem to favor only those in power.
Like the other relatives of those who were killed as a result of the state’s bloody campaign since 2016, Lopoz said the decision of the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open the investigation into the thousands of alleged summary executions in the country, including those blamed on the Davao Death Squad (DDS), was just a baby step to the quest for justice, and it guaranteed nothing.
“Don’t get us wrong. We have no illusions that the ICC will save this country or solve my brother’s murder. It is up to us, Filipinos, to do that,” said Lopoz, spokesperson of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM).
