Deeming drug suspects as guilty until proven otherwise in the proposed amendments by the House of Representatives to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 violates international human rights treaties and principles, human rights watchdog Karapatan said. According to the group, the amendments under House Bill No. 7814 are “set to promote an even more menacing climate of impunity in the Philippines, especially in the Duterte government’s sham and bloody war on drugs.”

Karapatan strongly condemns the attack against human rights lawyer Atty. Angelo Karlo “AK” Guillen, who was stabbed last night in Iloilo City.

“We condemn the attack on Atty. Guillen, and we call on the Commission on Human Rights and the Supreme Court to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation on this attempt on Atty. Guillen’s life,” said Karapatan Vice Chairperson Reylan Vergara.

Human rights group Karapatan on Thursday, March 4, supported the call of families and friends of political prisoners for inclusion of thousands of prisoners, especially the elderly and sick, and pregnant women among them, in the Philippines for free, safe, and effective vaccination against COVID-19, as they contend with the country’s overcrowded detention facilities and poor health and nutrition situations in jails.

The Duterte regime is trying to further terrorize Tumandok communities in Panay with the murder of Julie Catamin, chief of Brgy. Roosevelt in Tapaz, Capiz, human rights watchdog Karapatan said, as the group assailed Catamin’s killing as a “cowardly act that is meant to silence those who expose the truth about the arrests and killings of Tumandok members and leaders during the joint police and military operations in Tapaz, Capiz, and Calinog, Iloilo last December 30.”

Amid the postponement of the Supreme Court oral arguments on the petitions against the Anti-Terrorism Act until March 2, human rights watchdog Karapatan scored another case of illegal search, arrest, and the filing of charges under the draconian law — this time against two women, one of them eight months pregnant, in Sorsogon.