Geneva, Switzerland — Former political prisoner, writer, and peasant advocate Amanda Echanis called for accountability for the killings of peasants and human rights advocates, as she is set to participate in the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council this week in Switzerland together with Karapatan deputy secretary general Atty. Maria Sol Taule.
Echanis highlighted the continuing attacks against Filipino peasants and human rights activists, citing the case of the Negros 19 as a recent and grave example. She also drew attention to the brutal killing in 2020 of her father, peace consultant Randall Echanis.
According to the human rights organization Karapatan, at least 135 victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) have been documented under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Echanis said that this continuing pattern of state violence against individuals who express dissent or advocate for social change demonstrates that human rights violations persist in the Philippines.
During the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, at least 447 victims of extrajudicial killings were documented, including activists and individuals killed in connection with Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs.” Duterte is currently facing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity.
“My own father became a victim of extrajudicial killing during Duterte’s administration. He was a 72-year-old activist who was tortured and stabbed to death because he stood with the poor and marginalized, particularly the Filipino peasantry. I, too, experienced the weight of state repression, having been imprisoned for more than five years on fabricated and politically motivated charges. Until now, justice remains elusive for me and my father,” Echanis said.
Echanis stressed that human rights violations continue to persist in the Philippines because of the prevailing counter insurgency operations as well as the use of repressive state institutions, including the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) under Marcos Jr.’s National Action Plan for Unity Peace and Development (NAP-UPD), which rights groups have repeatedly linked to the red-tagging, surveillance and harassment of activists and human rights defenders.
“I urge everyone to continue holding the Philippine government accountable for the killings of my father, Randall Echanis, and of RJ Nichole Ledesma, Alyssa Alano, Maureen Santuyo, Errol Wendel, Kai Sorem, Lyle Prijoles, and the rest of the Negros 19. The victims and their families deserve truth, justice, and accountability. The cycle of impunity must end,” she concluded.