Philippines: Martial Law Threatens Escalation of Abuses Duterte Places Mindanao Under Military Rule, Suspends Habeas Corpus (New York, May 26, 2017) – The Philippine government’s declaration of martial law in the southern island of Mindanao threatens to widen the scope of abuses under President Rodrigo Duterte, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 23, 2017,…
Labor Rights Group Raises Alarm Over Militarization of Bureaucracy The labor rights organization, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) raised serious alarm over President Duterte’s appointment of military generals in his cabinet, stating that it is an ominous sign for already deteriorating human rights in the country and an increased tendency for militarist…
Climate Science, Sustainability, Governance: Finding Solutions to Climate Change By Renee Juliene Karunungan May 12, 2017 The Congreso Internacional de Cambio Climatico (International Congress on Climate Change) took place in Huelva, Spain last May 10-12, with the theme “Finding Solutions.” There were many sessions tackling different topics on how we can all find solutions to…
Special Rapporteur rejects misinformation about her current academic visit to Philippines GENEVA (5 May 2017) – The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, has released the following statement clarifying reports in the Filipino media and rejecting misinformation about her current visit to Philippines to attend an academic conference: “I am presently…
UN Member States Denounce Philippines’ ‘Drug War’ Killings Manila Dismisses Criticism During Human Rights Review (Geneva, May 8, 2017) – Numerous United Nations member countries expressed grave concerns about thousands of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines’ “war on drugs,” at the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on May 8, 2017. Under the UPR, the human…
Philippines: The war on drugs – a top priority of OMCT The war on drugs among OMCT’s top priorities Geneva, 15 March 2017 – On the occasion of the upcoming Philippines’ Universal Periodic Review on human rights by the UN, the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) will this week on two occasions denounce the many…
Human Rights Commissioner on the situation in the Philippines Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (16 March) on the situation in the Philippines: On 7 March 2017, the Philippine House of Representatives passed a bill to reimpose the death…
34th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 4: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention – General Debate Oral Statement Delivered by John Samuel On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) Wednesday, 15 March 2017 Mr President, FORUM-ASIA draws the Council’s attention to several deteriorating human rights…
Remate columnist shot dead, 3rd journalist killed in Masbate A columnist of the tabloid Remate was gunned down by motorcycle-riding killers in Milagros town, Masbate Monday morning, media reported. News reports said Joaquin Briones was shot four times in the back along Bombon Bridge, Sitio Feeder Road in Barangay Bacolod around 8:45 a.m. Briones was…
Philippine President Encourages War Crimes Duterte’s Call to ‘Flatten the Hills’ Threatens Civilian Life and Property By Carlos H. Conde Human Rights Watch While attending a memorial service today for four policemen, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged the army to “Go ahead, flatten the hills.” In counterinsurgency operations, he said, “anything goes for now. If…
The Philippines’ Alarming Death Penalty U-Turn Capital Punishment Bill Could Reach President Duterte’s Desk Soon By Carlos H. Conde The Philippine House of Representatives voted today to reinstate the death penalty for serious drug-related offenses in yet another blow to the country’s deteriorating human rights situation. If the Philippine Senate approves a similar bill as…
Never Again, Never Forget 19 November 2016 The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly condemns the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the cemetery of national heroes, in the Philippines. The burial of Marcos conveys a distressing message, not only to Filipinos but also to people’s movements all…
UN to GPH: reinstate national minimum wage, end “endo” Workers, trade unions, labor rights groups found an international ally in UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) when it called for reinstatement of a national minimum wage, an end to endo system in its report following a review of Philippines’ economic and social…
7th Asian Regional Human Rights Defenders Forum #AHRDF7 – Keynote by Michel Forst, UN SR on HRDs and Panel of Reactors Michel Forst, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (UN SR on HRDs), was the keynote speaker during the opening session of the 7th Asian Regional Human Rights Defender…
Why the Late Philippine Dictator Was No Hero Honoring Ferdinand Marcos a Gross Insult to His Victims By Phelim Kine Deputy Director, Asia Division @PhelimKine The Philippine Supreme Court has ruled that President Rodrigo Duterte can provide a “hero’s burial” for Ferdinand Marcos, whose dictatorial presidency from 1965 to 1986 involved rampant killings, torture, enforced…
Dr. June Lopez reelected to Anti-Torture Treaty Body “Today, States Parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) have elected, in the first round, twelve members to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT). All twelve will serve their term from 1 January 2017, for four years. APT wishes them all…
Philippine Police Denied US Guns on Rights Concerns Assault Rifle Sale Derailment Targets Abusive ‘War on Drugs’ Phelim Kine By Phelim Kine Deputy Director, Asia Division @PhelimKine The United States State Department has suspended the sale of 26,000 military assault rifles to the Philippine National Police due to opposition to the sale by Senator Ben…
UN human rights review is largely toothless – but it’s giving a boost to Asian civil society groups A United Nations initiative reviewing human rights records of countries around the world is indirectly strengthening civil society organisations in Southeast Asia by allowing them to participate in the process. But the groups are still blocked from…
Philippine Police Probe Violent Protest Dispersal Lack of Accountability Fuels Impunity By Carlos H. Conde Researcher, Asia Division @condeHRW October 21, 2016 The Philippine National Police have suspended nine officers involved in the violent dispersal of protesters – some of whom were bearing batons and throwing stones – demonstrating in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s…
Statement of Support of the World Association for Christian Communication – Asia Region to the Ongoing Peace Negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9 “Let no corrupting talk come…
