Joint Statement | In Solidarity with Filipino Human Rights Defenders

We, the undersigned organizations, express our deepest concern regarding the ongoing retaliatory criminalization faced by 10 human rights workers from Karapatan, GABRIELA, and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) for their legitimate human rights work.

Karapatan Chairperson Elisa Tita Lubi, Secretary General Cristina Palabay, Deputy Secretary General Roneo Clamor, Treasurer Gabriela Krista Dalena, and National Council Members Edita Burgos, Wilfredo Ruazol, and Jose Mari Callueng; GABRIELA Chairperson Gertrudes Ranjo Libang and Secretary General Joan May Salvador; and RMP member Sr. Elenita Belardo are currently on trial before Branch 37 of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Quezon City. They are facing malicious charges of "perjury" in retaliation for seeking legal protection as human rights defenders. The court is set to hand down its verdict within the week of January 2, 2023, and a conviction could carry a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of four months to a maximum of two years.

In view of the surge in violence against human rights defenders in the Philippines, the aforementioned human rights defenders from Karapatan, GABRIELA, and RMP petitioned the Supreme Court on May 6, 2019, for writs of amparo and habeas data seeking protection from threats, attacks, and harassment by government officials. However, the Philippine Court of Appeals dismissed their petition in June 2019.

Following the dismissal of the petition, authorities took retaliatory measures against the 10 human rights defenders. On July 2, 2019, then-National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon—who was also named in the petition—alleged that the 10 individuals had committed "perjury" because they stated in their petition to the Supreme Court that RMP was a non-governmental organization registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although this perjury allegation was initially dismissed for "lack of probable cause and lack of evidence," in February 2020 the Quezon City Prosecutor upheld the National Security Advisor's motion for reconsideration, finding "probable cause" to charge the 10 individuals with "perjury." The charges against these 10 human rights defenders have been widely condemned by regional and global civil society organizations, as well as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Since the "perjury" charges were filed, the Department of Justice has also accused at least 16 individuals connected to RMP (including nuns) of financing terrorism under Section 8(ii) of Republic Act No. 10168, also known as the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act.

In the Philippines, human rights defenders continue to face attacks, killings, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention, and stigmatization campaigns initiated by government officials, agents, supporters, or enablers. The climate of impunity for attacks against human rights defenders has worsened since the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte began in July 2016. Killings of defenders are rarely investigated, rendering the situation even more perilous for those who remain active while undermining human rights groups' confidence in the judiciary. Furthermore, the Anti-Terrorism Act passed in 2020 has further exacerbated the dangerous situation for human rights defenders. The law defines terrorism in an extremely broad and vague manner, effectively legalizing the "red-tagging" of human rights defenders. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and several Members of the European Parliament have expressed deep concern regarding severe human rights violations in the Philippines, including ongoing attacks against human rights defenders, in statements issued in June 2020 and more recently.

In April 2019, nine UN human rights experts likewise expressed grave concern over the killings, threats, detention, and criminal conviction of human rights defenders in the Philippines. Both the OHCHR and UN human rights experts have recommended the establishment of an international and independent investigation into human rights violations in the Philippines.

We call upon the new President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to adopt an approach distinct from that of the previous administration and make a firm commitment to respecting human rights defenders. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must cease threats and attacks against human rights defenders and genuinely guarantee their human rights, including the right to life, due process, freedom of expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly. We urge the authorities to immediately drop the judicial harassment against Elisa Tita Lubi, Cristina Palabay, Roneo Clamor, Gabriela Krista Dalena, Edita Burgos, Wilfredo Ruazol, Jose Mari Callueng, Gertrudes Ranjo Libang, Joan May Salvador, and Sr. Elenita Belardo. Likewise, we call on the authorities to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act and pass a Human Rights Defenders Protection Act.

We are deeply inspired by the work, courage, and dedication of these human rights defenders and stand firmly in solidarity with them.

• English Joint Statement: Philippines: Global solidarity with Filipino human rights defenders

Signatories

1. Applied Chemicals International Group (ACAT) – Germany
2. Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM) – Luxembourg
3. Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) – Myanmar
4. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) – Malaysia
5. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
6. Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
7. Associació Catalana per la Pau – Catalonia/Spain
8. Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) – International
9. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) – India
10. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) – International
11. Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights – Canada
12. Capital Punishment Justice Project – Australia
13. Centre for Philippine Concerns – Canada
14. Changement Social Bénin – Benin
15. Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH) – Mexico
16. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation – International
17. Environmental Defender Law Center – USA
18. International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) – International
19. Federal Association of Vietnamese Refugees in the Federal Republic of Germany – Germany
20. Filipino Women's Organization in Quebec (PINAY) – Canada
21. Front Line Defenders – International
22. Fundación Promoción Humana – Argentina
23. Greek Helsinki Monitor – Greece
24. Human Rights Defenders Alert (HRDA) – India
25. Human Rights First – International
26. Human Rights Watch – International
27. IBON International
28. International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) – International
29. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) (in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders)
30. International League of People’s Struggle – Canada
31. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) – International
32. Judicial Reform Foundation – Taiwan
33. KAIROS Canada
34. La Voix des Sans Voix pour les Droits de l'Homme (VSV) – Republic of the Congo
35. Lawyers' Rights Watch – Canada
36. Lok Shakti Abhiyan – India
37. London Mining Network – UK
38. Malaya Movement – Canada
39. Malaya Movement – USA
40. Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders (IM-Defensoras)
41. Migrante – Canada
42. Narasha Community Development Group – Kenya
43. National Autonomous Union of Public Administration Staff (SNAPAP) – Algeria
44. National Fisheries Solidarity Movement – Sri Lanka
45. National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area Chapter – USA
46. Netherlands Philippines Solidarity Movement – Netherlands
47. Odhikar – Bangladesh
48. ONG Construisons Ensemble le Monde – Democratic Republic of the Congo
49. Project South – USA
50. Public Service Alliance of Canada - Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada – Canada
51. Rural People's Sangam – India
52. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network – International
53. SOHRAM-CASRA – Turkey
54. Synergie des femmes pour les victimes des violences sexuelles (SFVS) – Democratic Republic of the Congo
55. Tapol – Indonesia
56. The Open University – UK
57. The Uplands Center – USA
58. United Church of Canada – Canada
59. Universidad Nacional José Faustino Sánchez Carrión - Huacho – Peru
60. Viva Salud – Belgium
61. Women of Diverse Origins – Canada
62. Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) – International
63. Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
64. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) (in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders)

Individuals

1. Bronwyn Dudley
2. Emile Kinley-Gauthier
3. Florfina Marcelino