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Document #2139365
Amnesty International (Author)
The ICC detained former president Rodrigo Duterte following his arrest for murder as a crime against humanity. Killings in the context of the “war on drugs” continued. At least four journalists were killed and another detained for alleged violations of terrorism-related laws, which were also used against activists and development workers. Hundreds of people, including children, were arrested and detained following protests against corruption in flood-control projects. Online harassment by authorities created a climate of fear among young human rights defenders.
In May, mid-term elections were held for senators, congressional representatives and local government officials. In September and October, earthquakes struck Cebu and Davao provinces, killing more than 80 people. Several tropical cyclones caused flooding and landslides, resulting in hundreds of people killed, injured or missing, and more than 2 million displaced.
On 11 March, former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by police in the capital city Manila on a warrant issued by the ICC for murder as a crime against humanity. The warrant was issued in relation to unlawful killings in the “war on drugs” while he was president1 and for killings in Davao City during his time as mayor (2013-2016), a development welcomed by families of victims and civil society.2 He was subsequently transferred to The Hague and remained in detention at the end of the year.3 The ICC Office of the Prosecutor was preparing to request that Duterte be charged with three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, but his lawyers submitted that he was unfit to stand trial. The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber postponed his confirmation of charges hearing, originally scheduled for 23 September. No new date had been set by the end of the year.
There remained little domestic accountability for police officers and others implicated in deadly anti-drug operations. Reports of unlawful killings during police operations related to the “war on drugs” persisted, with at least 271 drug-related deaths recorded at year’s end by the university-based group Dahas. In September, a court convicted police colonel Dante Lubos of homicide for the death of Ryan Dave Almora during a police operation in July 2016. Despite thousands of people being unlawfully killed since 2016, only five cases had resulted in convictions of a total of nine police officers in relation to the “war on drugs”. In May, a court denied bail for three police officers accused of killing Spanish businessman Diego Bello Lafuente during a police operation in 2020. In December, the Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of three police officers for killing 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in an anti-drug operation in 2017.
In October, a court dismissed with finality the last charge against “war on drugs” critic and congressional representative Leila de Lima, after government prosecutors withdrew an appeal against an earlier dismissal of her case.
In April, research revealed online harassment by authorities, including the practice of “red-tagging” or labelling individuals as “communists”, creating a climate of fear among young human rights defenders.4
In June, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression reported that the government’s progress in implementing the recommendations following her January 2024 visit was “not enough to make a meaningful difference to the state of freedom of expression”. She called on the government to end the practice of “red-tagging”, decriminalize libel, amend the Anti-Terrorism Act 2020 and abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.5
On 21 September, more than 200 individuals, including children, were arrested and detained by police in Manila during protests against corruption.6 Police used excessive force against demonstrators.
Authorities condemned violence reportedly carried out by some protesters. Those arrested and detained alleged police committed human rights violations, including beatings, during their arrest and detention, and denied them access to their lawyers and families.7 Police denied the allegations. Two individuals reportedly died during the protests: a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed by an individual claiming self-defence and a construction worker who was reportedly hit by a stray bullet.
The children were eventually released without charges, but more than 90 others faced charges including “sedition” and “conspiracy”. Other charges, such as “illegal assembly” and “assault on persons in authority”, were dismissed in November.
Killings of journalists continued with at least four killed during the year, including press freedom advocate and former politician Juan Dayang, human rights defender and former broadcaster Ali Macalintal,8 and radio broadcasters Erwin Segovia and Noel Bellen Samar. Police claimed they arrested a suspect for Segovia’s killing. Investigations were ongoing for the three other cases, including Juan Dayang’s killing for which police said a suspect had been identified.
Government authorities continued to use anti-terrorism laws to target development and humanitarian workers, journalists and activists. In January, two staff members of Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group were arrested and charged with financing terrorism.9 In March, the case was dismissed, and in April, a court rejected prosecutors’ attempts to reverse this dismissal.
In July, the NGO consortium Community Empowerment Resources Network filed criminal and administrative complaints against prosecutors for their alleged negligence in filing terrorism financing charges against 27 individuals associated with the group.
Court proceedings continued for journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and development worker Marielle Domequil, detained for over five years on charges of illegal possession of firearms and terrorism financing, charges that civil society groups claimed were fabricated. In November, a court dismissed a murder charge against Cumpio.
On 6 October, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ordered a business process outsourcing company in Cebu province to stop its operations due to a lack of a disaster response plan. This followed a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the province on 30 September and killed at least 75 people. Another company was ordered to implement corrections after a building inspection revealed occupational safety and health deficiencies. The DOLE said it would conduct more inspections after complaints from call centre employees. Workers’ complaints included being forced to continue taking calls during the earthquake and being unable to leave their buildings due to deliberately blocked exits.
Research revealed government failure to adequately consult Indigenous Peoples and rural communities. Authorities failed to obtain Indigenous Peoples’ consent for nickel mining projects that caused deforestation, metal contamination and health problems in these communities.10
In August and September, respectively, the Senate and Congress began hearings into allegations of corruption involving flood-control and related infrastructure projects. Both investigations revealed extortion, bribery and other forms of corruption involving high-level politicians, government officials and private contractors. The revelations sparked large-scale public protests.
In February, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called on the government to take measures to protect economic, social and cultural rights, to adopt legislation to protect human rights defenders, and to investigate and prosecute all cases of corruption, among other recommendations.
© Amnesty International
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