September 19, 2023
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — As the world commemorates the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Philippine Universal Periodic Review (PUPR) Watch delegation to the 54th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session raised alarm over the escalating attacks against human rights defenders and activists in the Philippines under the Marcos Jr. government.
Dyan Gumanao, a regional coordinator of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and a survivor of enforced disappearance, expressed her concerns about the rising number of abduction and enforced disappearances in the Philippines.
During a solidarity action at the Broken Chair in Geneva, Gumanao stated that “As human rights defenders, we continue to face different threats. But we made a commitment that these attacks will not make us cower in fear nor silence us.”
According to data from Karapatan, there have been approximately 10 recorded cases of enforced disappearances in just 15 months of the Marcos Jr.-Duterte administration. This includes the disappearance of IP Rights advocates Bazoo de Jesus and Dexter Capuyan on April 28 and the recent abduction of two young women environment defenders, Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, on September 2.
Beverly Longid of KATRIBU and PUPR Watch noted that the current administration has exacerbated the situation by using the anti-terror law to stifle dissent and silence the growing dissatisfaction of the Filipino people due to the worsening economic crises.
“Even the assertion of the right to self-determination of our national minorities and to defend their ancestral domains, natural resources from the encroachment of big mining and energy corporations are now unjustly classified as acts of terrorism,” Longid added.
Dr. Natividad Castro, a community-based health worker, and indigenous leaders Windel Bolinget, Steve Tauli, Sarah Abellon Alikes, and Jennifer Awingan have been arbitrarily designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council without due process and on baseless accusations. Additionally, up to 15 human rights defenders in the Southern Tagalog region are facing criminal charges under the Anti-Terrorism Law and Anti-Terrorist Financing.
Bishop Malzar Labuntog of the United Christ in the Philippines expressed grave concern on the ongoing attacks on churches and church workers, with their grassroots missions being unfairly linked to acts of terrorism.
“As church workers, we simply aim to address the gaps in providing proper services to our indigenous communities and remote areas. However, through the use and abuse of Anti-Terror Law, we have faced sanctions such as freezing of bank accounts and potential civil forfeiture of our properties geared towards helping those at the poorest communities,” Bishop Labuntog lamented.
“We are forwarding cases of red-tagging and terrorist tagging among activists and rights defenders to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Assembly, to make them aware of the persistent state attacks through its notorious body, the NTF-ELCAC, and to urge these UN experts to promptly investigate this disturbing trend,” said Atty. Krissy Conti of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.
The PUPR Watch renewed its call on the United Nations and its relevant bodies to take immediate action to address human rights violations including enforced disappearances, red-tagging, and terrorist-tagging under the Marcos government. The group urges the UN to adopt a resolution mandating the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to monitor and provide a report on the human rights situation in the Philippines.