Archives: Media Releases

As President Rodrigo Duterte made a statement in defense of Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, the Metro Manila police chief who breached quarantine protocols for a birthday feté, human rights group Karapatan asserted that the top cop should be made accountable, saying he should have been investigated and relieved from post long before breaking quarantine policies …

Karapatan: With blood trail in Negros, dozens of HRVs, Sinas should be made accountable Read More »

As a social media post against President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go led to the illegal arrest of a 41-year-old salesman in Agusan del Norte, human rights group Karapatan expressed its deep concern over the palpable crackdown on dissent, saying that the already-diminished space for free expression for Filipinos dismayed with the Duterte administration …

Karapatan warns of growing threats to freedom of expression as gov’t jails salesman for post vs Duterte, Go Read More »

The Duterte government is desperately intensifying its counterinsurgency operations as a cover-up for its failure in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, human rights watchdog Karapatan said, as the group decried the continuing killings, arrests, and harassment of farmers and activists at the hands of police and military forces.

Human rights group Karapatan decried the online threats, harassment and vilification against officers, including their families, of people’s rights organization Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), after the group called out the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in an incident when two military helicopters dropped leaflets red-tagging several groups conducting relief efforts for communities most affected …

Karapatan hits online threats, harassment vs rights activists in Cordillera Read More »

Human rights group Karapatan questioned the Philippine government’s planned acquisition of billions of pesos worth of war materiel and armaments from the United States amid calls for increased public funding for public health services and financial aid for poor families in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the rules for pardon and executive clemency were reissued and relaxed in a bid to decongest jails in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, human rights group Karapatan reiterated that political prisoners, especially the elderly and the sick who are most at risk of contracting the deadly and fast-spreading virus, should not be excluded.

Ordering the shutdown of ABS-CBN in the middle of a pandemic is a blatant attack on press freedom that dangerously infringes on the people’s right to information, human rights watchdog Karapatan warned, as the group assailed the National Telecommunications Commission’s cease-and-desist order against the broadcasting network.

As the Supreme Court deliberates on the petition for the humanitarian release of prisoners today, human rights alliance Karapatan sounded alarm over the possible underreporting of deaths of inmates as the group reiterated its urgent demand to decongest jails by granting temporary liberty for vulnerable prisoners, including political prisoners, especially the sick and elderly with …

Prisoners are already dying from COVID-19, free political prisoners now! —Karapatan Read More »