Years of painstaking efforts to pursue justice for the victims of the war on drugs won a crucial headway today as the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council adopted resolution L20, seeking to report on the Philippines’ extrajudicial killings. The resolution, submitted by 39 countries headed by Iceland, urged the Philippine government to…
The In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement on Friday characterized the United Nations Human Rights Council’s decision to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs as a “huge victory” for the families of victims of extrajudicial killings. Interviewed on Balitanghali on Friday, iDEFEND spokesperson Ellecer “Budit” Carlos said his organization, as well as…
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reported that PAHRA’s operation as NGO is illegal because its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration has been revoked.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…
Pahayag ng iDEFEND at PAHRA sa pandaigdigang araw ng Paggawa Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Office mahigit 2 milliong Pilipino ang walang trabaho sa nakaraang taon. Higit 75% nito ay nasa edad na 15 to 34 taon. Ang pinakamalaking bahagi ng mga manggagawa ang nasa sektor ng services at pangangalakal, pangalawang pinakamalaki ang nasa agrikultura at…
ICC exit removes protection for Filipinos-iDEFEND The Philippines’ withdrawal from its membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) means that an important legal mechanism enforcing some of the most advanced international cooperation for justice will be out of reach for Filipinos, especially those working in dangerous and conflict-ridden countries. Although withdrawing from the ICC will…
NBI arrest of #MariaRessa abhorrent and despotic-iDEFEND In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement condemns the arrest of Maria Ressa by the NBI on Wednesday evening on charges of cyber-libel. Ressa’s arrest is the latest demonstration of how government critics are silenced in a manner which mirrors a familiar style of the late Marcos…
Duterte’s MACR not about children, but Dictatorship Legislators aim to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) to below fifteen (15) years old in such a rushed manner, seemingly ignoring all scientific evidence and expert warnings, as if the country is being run down by children rampaging in the streets causing public mayhem and…
Reject Authoritarian Rule, Defend People’s Democratic and Human Rights Seven decades ago at the end of World War Two humankind has asserted that the destruction of human dignity in order to achieve power over populations through violence and fear would no longer reign in the world. Thus the United Nations on December 10, 1948 agreed…
Pahayag ng iDEFEND sa Memorandum Order 32 na nagpapatibay ng panuntunan sa mga militar sa ilalim ng State of National Emergency to suppress lawless violence Source: iDEFEND.ph Submit your contribution online through HRonlinePH@gmail.com Include your full name, e-mail address and contact number. All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was…
iDEFEND renews call for an end to the war on drugs, citing IDPC report The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) report on the global failure to address illegal drugs cited the gruesome results of drug wars waged around the world: A 145 per cent increase in drug-related deaths over the last decade, totaling a harrowing…
Philippines does not belong to UNHRC – iDEFEND The Philippines (Government) does not belong in the UN Human Rights Council and its membership must be rescinded or suspended for miserably failing to uphold human rights standards. The UN Human Rights Council should hold the GRP accountable to standards expected of members. The Duterte administration continues…
Dangal ng Manggagawang Ipinakipaglaban, Itaguyod at Pangalagaan 1903 nang pinangunahan ng mga manggagawa sa ilalim ng Union Obrera Democratica de Filipinas ang unang martsa ng manggagawa sa Pilipinas, ipinanawagan nila ang pagpapataas ng kanilang sahod kasabay ng panawagang kalayaan mula sa pangongolonya ng Amerika nuong mga panahong iyon. Ngayon, mahigit isang siglo na ang nakalipas,…
Philippine democracy in danger — IDEFEND #YestoInternationalSolidarity #ResistDictatorship April 20, 2018. QUEZON CITY—Members of human rights movement IDEFEND decried the worsening human rights situation and the continuing threats to Philippine democracy. Philippine Democracy is in Danger declared IDEFEND. This declaration comes in the wake of more recent events like the deportation of Giacomo Fillbeck, of…
Statement on President Duterte’s orders to withdraw from the International Criminal Court On March 14 President Duterte announced the ‘immediate’ withdrawal of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court, after claiming it had no jurisdiction over him, instructing the police not to cooperate with any international investigation into extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs…
Ending the War on Drugs Saves Lives Foreign Secretary Alan Cayetano on Tuesday told the UN Human Rights Council that the deadly war on drugs was meant to save Filipino lives from the scourge of illegal drugs. He thinks the world is hearing this for the first time. But the same argument was also used…
In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement welcomes the decision of the ICC Prosecutor to conduct a preliminary investigation into EJKs In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement welcomes the decision of the ICC Prosecutor to conduct a preliminary investigation into EJKs under the government’s war on illegal drugs. iDEFEND considers it as…
SEC “kill” order is an intensified attack on press freedom in the Philippines On Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission has ordered the closure of online news organization RAPPLER, for alleged violation of constitutional limits on foreign ownership of mass media. It is the first official attack on the country’s press freedom by the government,…
20 year-old EJK victim in suspected case of mistaken identity Masked gunmen shot Karl Anthony Nunez at his home in Barangay Sun Valley Paranaque shortly before sunrise on December 26, 2017. Nunez was going home from a late night snack with a friend when he was approached by two gunmen who alighted from their motorcycle…
As Duterte’s betrayal of the people is unmasked, so will political oppression increase. On a platform of change Duterte won the Presidency. More than one year into his term, change only came in the form of deeper poverty and corruption, betrayed hopes and political suppression. From the promises of eliminating drug trafficking, crime, corruption, ending…
19th year of UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders STOP THE ATTACK AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS The In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) condemn in the strongest terms – the continuing attack against human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Philippines which is now…
