ICHRP: Filipino people inspire the world, Marcos gov’t must be held accountable for systematic theft of public funds
Press statement
September 23, 2025
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) stands in full solidarity with the Filipino people who rose up on September 21, 2025, marking the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to demand accountability and an end to the Marcos Jr. regime’s corruption and repression.
Across Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and overseas, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos joined protest actions exposing the systemic theft of public funds. ICHRP notes that these mobilizations are an inspiration to the world and show that the people have not forgotten the abuses of the Marcos Sr. dictatorship and refuse to be silenced under Marcos Jr.’s continuation of that legacy.
ICHRP strongly condemns the police crackdown that resulted in severe injuries, the tragic death of one protester, and the wrongful imprisonment of over 200 individuals. The global coalition demands that they have access to legal counsel, communication with families and human rights organizations, and emergency medical treatment.
“The demonstrations were a legitimate outpouring of people’s anger at a kleptocratic government,” says ICHRP chairperson Peter Murphy, rejecting Philippine authorities’ framing of protests as mere riots. “The youth, urban poor, and workers who joined the standoff in the historic Mendiola Bridge were not ‘thugs.’ They are citizens whose communities are drowning in poverty and floodwaters while the powerful enrich themselves. Their rage was directed at a system that steals their future and violates their dignity,” Murphy adds.
On September 21 in Mendiola, the entrance to the president’s Palace, hundreds of mostly young and urban poor protesters were met with brutal acts of dispersal from the police. According to reports, at least 216 people were arrested, dozens were injured, and one was killed during the crackdown. Many of those detained are children (80) including a nine (9) year old boy and in urgent need of medical attention.
“They come from poor families who now face crushing bail costs and hospital expenses. We call for their immediate release and for full accountability for the rights abuses committed,” Murphy asserts.
The injured and arrested Filipino youth and the urban poor are being unjustly labeled as criminals by authorities while those who are reportedly involved in massive corruption are seemingly protected and seeking witness protection.
ICHRP asserts that the disgruntled youth are “far from being criminals, these protesters are the conscience of a nation outraged at Marcos’ and previous presidents’ corrupt flood-control and infrastructure projects. The ‘anti-corruption’ posturing of Marcos Jr won’t hide his deep entanglement with political patrons and contractors.”
As one 19-year-old vendor who joined the protest put it: “Kami lubog na lubog sa baha. Sila nasa mataas, paano kaming nasa baba? Kahit silipin nila kami ‘te, hindi nila kami matatanaw kasi sobrang taas nila.” (We’re submerged in the flood. While they’re up high. What about us down below? Even if they tried to look at us, they wouldn’t see us because they’re so far above.”
“As a human rights organization, we not only denounce the human rights violations committed by the Philippine state on September 21, but we also urge our members and the international community to show support for the Filipino people. Now more than ever, we need to express our solidarity in any way possible,” says Murphy.
ICHRP calls on the international community, human rights defenders, and individuals to:
- Condemn the violent dispersal, mass arrests, and death of a protester in Mendiola.
- Demand the immediate release of all detained protesters and provision of medical care to the injured.
- Support mutual aid efforts for bail, legal assistance, medical treatment, and the needs of victims’ families.
- Continue amplifying the voices of the Filipino people who demand accountability, justice, and an end to systemic corruption.
“The Marcos Jr. government can smear, arrest, and kill, but it cannot erase the truth: the Filipino people are rising. We stand with them. We stand with their outrage, their courage, and their fight for genuine democracy,” Murphy ends. #
In partnership with Philippine Human Rights Alliance KARAPATAN, we are collecting donations to provide urgent support to the bail fund of protestors arrested during the ongoing anti-corruption protests in the Philippines. Donate at ichrp.net/bailfund
