Violence between state forces and the NPA puts indigenous peoples lives at risk 4 September 2020 Responding to reports of escalating violence in Surigao del Sur between government security forces and the New People’s Army (NPA) which led to the killing of two young indigenous people, Amnesty International Philippines Director, Butch Olano, said: “Violence between…
New PNP Chief a leading architect of the deadly drug war Responding to the appointment of PLtGen Camilo Cascolan as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Amnesty International Philippines Section Director, Butch Olano, said “PLtGen Cascolan is no stranger to the deadly drug war. As the PNP’s former operations chief and co-author…
The Government of the Philippines must end the killings of human rights activists and defenders The Philippine government should immediately end the killings of activists and human rights defenders and ensure credible, transparent investigations and accountability for the lives which have been lost, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) said in a…
EU Member States Should Act on Philippines Abuses Support at UN Human Rights Council Crucial to Establish International Inquiry Last year, European Union member states at the United Nations Human Rights Council voted decisively in support of a resolution mandating the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on grave rights abuses in the…
The Moribund Duterte Presidency Focus on the Global South’s Post-SONA 2020 Assessment 2020 August 7 In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic—a period marked by rising infections, an overwhelmed healthcare system, and an impending economic recession—the state of the nation demanded a show of fortitude and resolve from President Rodrigo Duterte and his government to…
Anti-Terrorism Act cannot win against terrorism! Fight for A Democratic, Ecological and Peoples’-Centred Philippines! It was either to let it lapse into law or sign. Duterte preferred to sign it last 3 July 2020. To veto is not his option. The passage of the ATA or Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic Act 11479) and signing…
Philippines Uses ‘Drug War’ Tactics to Fight Covid-19 Police to Go House-to-House, Rely on Neighbor Reporting By Phil Robertson Deputy Asia Director Human Rights Watch @reaproy The Philippine government announced this week that police will conduct house-to-house searches for people who might have been infected with the novel coronavirus and then forcibly relocate them to…
Human rights organisations call for release of activist Teresita Naul ahead of court case and major global campaign #StandAsMyWitness CIVICUS, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Karapatan and other human rights organisations in the Philippines call for the release of Teresita Naul, a human rights defender from the Philippines, ahead of her court case on 17…
Green groups denounce DENR plan to mine and dredge rivers as economic stimulus: Mining will not stimulate economic recovery QUEZON CITY – Alyansa Tigil Mina denounced the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) plan to push for more mining and river dredging to jumpstart economic recovery due to COVID19. ATM said that the minuscule…
Contractual, part-time professors slam alleged University discrimination Amidst the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, some instructors from one of the country’s leading state universities cried foul over the alleged neglect, injustice and discrimination. The management of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the country’s largest university system is criticized by its own…
Open letter to Department of Justice: Decongest jails in the Philippines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic To: THE HONORABLE MENARDO GUEVARRA, Secretary, Department of Justice Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila 1000 The Philippines 6 May 2020 Re: Decongest jails in the Philippines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic Dear Hon. Secretary Guevarra We, the Asian Forum…
Lagman: NTC must not be the scapegoat for the house leadership’s dereliction The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) must not be used as the scapegoat for the patent failure of the leadership of the House of Representatives to resolutely push for the seasonable renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise. There is no other solution to the dilemma of…
Estado ng Kalikasan – Mayu Uno Virtual Rally – Pagbabahagi ng ATM/Kalipunan 1 Isang maka-kalikasan at mapag-palayang araw sa ating lahat. Nakiki-isa ang ATM at marami pang ibang maka-kalikasang grupo sa paggunita ng Araw ng Paggawa. Kasama rin po natin ang KALIPUNAN ng mga Masang Kilusan sa hanay natin ngayon. 2. Maganda ang paunang paliwanag…
Philippines: Arrests and detention Marred International Labor Day 2020 Seventy-six (76) were arrested and detained yesterday in separate incidents, — the biggest number of arrests in the recent history of Labor Day celebrations in the Philippines. Ten (10) volunteers of CURE COVID, a citizens’ alliance that included workers who were running a Community Kitchen and…
Six months on: defending the Philippines For most of us, government ‘lockdowns’ are an extraordinary reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for land and environmental defenders already facing threats, fear is rife that the crisis could be manipulated to put them at even greater risk. Six months on from the publication of ‘Defending the Philippines’,…
More quarantine violations logged than individuals tested for COVID-19; increased health capacity, testing, and social amelioration needed over victim-blaming in a pandemic setting Three days since the end of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, comparable data and statistics were released by different government authorities regarding the situation. Law enforcement authorities revealed today that from 17…
This year’s World Press Freedom Day takes on a special meaning around a world in quarantine. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have been forced to go on lockdown, close borders, discourage physical contact and mass gatherings, and resort to other measures that may have the incidental effect of concentrating power to a few. Never…
Education in the New Normal: Address Inequities and Gaps to Insure Accessibility While Transitioning to Digital, Virtual Mode We should have been alarmed when covid19 deaths in China, the country of origin of the virus, started to fill the news. But our government just took it for granted. It continues with the ‘business as usual’…
Workers Demand for Guaranteed Income, Protection, Respect for Rights Before Returning to Work “This year’s International Labor Day celebration is historically different, there will be no huge demonstrations on the streets in the Philippines and in other countries as well, due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the calls for a living wage,…
Philippines: Prison Deaths Unreported Amid Pandemic Reduce Prisoner Populations to Address Severe Health Concerns (Manila, April 29, 2020) – The Philippine government has not fully reported prison deaths, raising concerns that Covid-19 is spreading more quickly and widely in the country’s detention facilities, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should investigate prison deaths and…
