By Carlos H. Conde Philippines researcher Human Rights Watch Three people – an activist church worker, a provincial politician, and a businessman – were killed in separate attacks in the Philippines on Sunday by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles. The media reported that on July 7, gunmen shot dead Salvador Romano, 42, in Negros Oriental, a…
(New York, June 18, 2019) – The Philippine government should promptly and impartially investigate the recent spate of killings of leftist activists, Human Rights Watch said today. From June 15 to 17, 2019, unidentified gunmen fatally shot four members of leftist organizations. A labor organizer was also killed on June 2. During the upcoming session…
“Pride is, at its core, a political space built on the backs of human rights defenders. We cannot stand idly by as fellow activists are violently persecuted while they work on cultural and legislative reform.” #ResistTogether Statement on killings of human rights defenders Stop the attacks On June 15, human rights activists Ryan Hubilla and…
A member of a left-wing organization of farmers was gunned down outside his house at Barangay Halapitan, San Fernando town in Bukidnon province on Saturday (June 16) in what appeared to be another attack on the Left. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Philippine Peasant Movement or KMP) said one of its members, Nonoy Palma, was killed…
KARAPATAN URGENT ALERT Two Karapatan Sorsogon staff, Ryan Hubilla and Nelly Bagasala, were gunned down at around 8:20 in the morning this Saturday, June 15, 2019 at the corner of Phase 2, Seabreeze Homes Subdivision, Barangay Cabid-an, Sorsogon, Bicol. The perpetrators were onboard a motorcycle. The scene of the crime was only a kilometer away…
Human rights defender protection bill closer to becoming law On 3rd June 2019, in ongoing effort to protect human rights defenders (HRDs) from continued attacks and harassment, the Philippines House of Representatives unanimously approved a Human Rights Defenders bill. Although the bill only becomes law once the Senate and President approves it, the recent decision…
Hermosa, Bataan – Tensions broke out in Barangay Sumalo after farmers protested a checkpoint illegally installed by private guards of Riverforest Development Corporation which led to a violent confrontation that took the life of one and injured two others. The deadly violence erupted last June 08, 2019. Christopher Villete (26) and Elmer Bautista Jr. (22)…
Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Friday lauded leaders of the House of Representatives for approving on third and final reading the measure seeking to provide protection to human rights defenders (HRDs) who have always been facing serious threats, intimidation, and harassment. De Lima, a former justice secretary, at the same time, vowed to refile…
The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the measure seeking to define the rights and guarantee the fundamental freedoms of human rights defenders. Voting 183-0, the chamber approved House Bill 9199, principally authored by the seven members of the progressive Makabayan bloc and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman. The measure aims…
Government propaganda machine Philippine News Agency is misleading the public and falsely reported that PAHRA’s operation as NGO is illegal because its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration has been revoked. In its continuing attack on civil society, the Duterte administration, now through the SEC named PAHRA along with other human rights and sectoral organizations…
PAHRA Statement of Philippine News Agency article on SEC Revocation and Red Tagging WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED We will not be silenced by the disinformation being orchestrated by the Duterte government to stifle dissent. The recent report made by Philippine News Agency (PNA), citing the revocation of the registration of the six non-government organizations…
(8 May 2019) – We, the undersigned organizations, strongly denounce the recent death threats addressed to Karapatan Secretary General, Cristina Palabay in the Philippines. These threats and the wider attacks against human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society representatives signify the further constricting of civic space and the silencing of dissent in the country. We…
Women Human Rights Defenders suffer the brunt of the attacks of Duterte Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), a human rights organization and mission partner of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), commemorates the International Women’s Day by extending our solidarity with the women’s movement and condemn the attacks they…
More Philippine church leaders, rights workers on ‘red list’ The “red-tagging” of church leaders and activists has intensified with priests of the Philippine Independent Church included on a new list of people alleged to have ties with communist rebels. Aside from the priests, the list also included the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, the Alliance…
Opposition solon scores SEC’s profiling, witch-hunt of foundations, NGOs An opposition lawmaker scored Tuesday the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for profiling and witch hunting foundations and non-government organizations. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the supposed “criminal profiling” of SEC is “prone to abuses” and violates the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. “This is…
New SEC memo on non-profit organizations violates right to organize – Karapatan Surreptitiously, without consultation with many non-profit organizations, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued SEC Memorandum Circular No. 15 (s. 2018) or the Guidelines for the Protection of SEC Registered Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) From Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Abuse or the NPO Guidelines…
JUSTICE for the TAMASCO 8 Killings. Now. December 3 marks the first death anniversary of Datu Victor Danyan, his two sons, son-in law, and 4 other tribal members and indigenous rights defenders of the T’boli community in Brgy. Ned, Lake Sebu. It also marks the first year of gross human rights violations by the men…
On the first month of Sta. Cruz 5’s illegal arrest and detention, Labor rights NGO hits Duterte over surging cases of trump-up charges vs activists, human rights defenders Labor rights organization Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) calls for their immediate release and the junking of trumped-up charges filed against Sta Cruz 5:…
Amidst the yuletide cheer, another rights defender gunned-down The Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes, Inc. (PNFSP) condemns the cold-blooded murder of our colleague and fellow development worker and people’s lawyer, Atty. Benjamin Tarug Ramos. Atty. Ben, as what we all call him, is the founding member of Paghida-et sa Kauswagan Development Group, Inc. (PDG),…
Another Rights Lawyer Murdered in the Philippines Killing Highlights Land Conflict in Negros By Carlos H. Conde Researcher, Asia Division Human Rights Watch @condeHRW By most accounts, Benjamin Ramos died doing exactly what he had always done as a human rights lawyer: helping his clients free of charge. On the evening of November 6, Ramos…
