July 29 2026

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) condemns the violent police attack on last Monday’s People’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) protest rally in Manila, and calls for the immediate release and dropping of charges against the 51 arrested, including 13 minors and 3 paralegals.

“ICHRP warns the international community that the Marcos Jr administration is intensifying repression of protests against the enormous corruption scandal which is drowning his administration,” said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy. “Democracy is under ever-greater threat in the Philippines.

“Yes, the People’s SONA is huge, but it is well organized and peaceful. Yet the police decided to invade the procession and arrest a large number of mainly young people who were not hurting anyone – except the President’s image,” Murphy said.

Just days before the SONA, during the ASEAN Foreign Minister’s meeting on July 22, the police violently dispersed protesters and harassed photojournalists near the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

Young artist movements were the police targets. Among those arrested is former Panday Sining national chairperson, Hiphop United Against Corruption member, and Fliptop rap artist Vitrum. Other arrested protesters came from the Junkie Rebels Crew, Hiphop United Against Corruption, Skaters United, Vandals United, and Defend the Hood. There were also members of bands Walktrip and MATOKI, and rappers from Kuwagagohan, Raplines and Banghayan.

The police could not justify their aggression, only pointing to breaches of local ordinances against wearing face coverings, and also alleging that six were spray-painting graffiti.

“Despite their claim to use ‘maximum tolerance’, the 22,000 police were actually exercising ‘maximum disruption’ of the 30,000 strong protest. Police did the same last year at big protests on September 21, November 30 and on February 25 this year,” Murphy said. “We agree with BAYAN that this was really overkill by the police.”

Police tried to force a 7am protest by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers off the roadway, and later a large contingent of protesters from Southern Tagalog were blocked from marching along Commonwealth Avenue, causing another struggle to stay on the street.

“Despite these brazen undemocratic tactics by the police, the huge spirited protest sustained its programs and mobilisation right through to the end of the President’s address inside the Congress. ICHRP salutes them all for keeping the flame of democracy and human rights bright in the Philippines,” Murphy concluded.

Register for this webinar at ichrp.net/ISAReport2026

Date and time: August 7, 2026 at 5pm PDT, 8PM EDT / August 8, 2026 at 8am HKT, 10am AEST

This past April and May, 46 unionists and solidarity activists from around the world were hosted by militant trade union center Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) in the Philippines as part of the KMU’s International Solidarity Affair (ISA) to learn about the conditions, demands, and campaigns of workers in the country. In the immediate wake of the Negros 19 massacre, these international worker activists stood resolute in forging strong bonds of solidarity against the forces that oppress all working people of the world.

Join us for this info webinar on August 2, 2026, where attendees of the ISA will report on their experiences and share how to continue building solidarity for the Filipino people’s struggle for self-determination in the face of escalating fascist repression under the Marcos Jr regime. Guest speakers will include KMU Secretary-General Joanne Cesario, and more to be announced in the coming days.

Register for this webinar at ichrp.net/ISAReport2026

From the sugar cane fields, to the factories, to the call centers and beyond, workers of the world unite! Long live international solidarity!

Statement
July 15, 2026

“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) joins in the global cry today for the cancellation of the conviction and sentence of the Talaingod 13,” said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy. “This verdict was wrong, unjust and is an ongoing threat to Filipino children.

“The July 15, 2024, judicial finding – that teachers and others who saved school children from severe threats by an armed paramilitary group in November 2018 were in fact abusing the children – is a grotesque expression of the weaponizing of the law under Duterte and Marcos Jr,” Murphy said.

The court decision is part of the total suppression of over 250 Lumad indigenous community schools by the Duterte administration, a policy now also imposed by President Marcos Jr.

“This is a gross violation of the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples, the right to education for the children, and the freedom of association and assembly by those found guilty and appealing against their convictions,” Murphy said.

ICHRP is very concerned that this unjust verdict is a threat to all future solidarity missions that may take place because of the many violations of human rights in the Philippine countryside.

The charges were first laid in 2018 when Congress Rep France Castro, and former Congress Rep Satur Ocampo and others mounted a National Humanitarian Mission to Talaingod, Davao del Norte. They were bringing food to the students at the Lumad School there which was under a food blockade and threats of violence from the notorious Alamara paramilitary group.

Castro and Ocampo rightly condemned the bias of the court and the police in their failure to investigate this serious violence aimed at the teachers and students.

The humanitarian mission was in a five-vehicle convoy of more than 70 people, including 29 schoolchildren, when they were stopped at a checkpoint by Talaingod police officers and soldiers from the 56th IB at Barangay Santo Niño. Eighteen of the group were arrested, including four church clergy from the United Church of Christ of the Philippines and the United Methodist Church. Fourteen of the students were handed over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Those arrested were released three days later on bail of P80,000 (US$1,369) each.

In a 26-page decision issued on July 15, 2024, the Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 convicted Congress Rep. Castro, Ocampo and 11 others, for violation of Section 10a of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. They were all sentenced to four to six years in prison and ordered to pay P10,000 (US$171) as civil indemnity and P10,000 as moral damages to each of the 14 minors involved.

Also found guilty were Ma. Eugenia Victoria Nolasco, Jesus Madamo, Meriro Poquita, Maricel Andagkit, Marcial Rendon, Marianie Aga, Jenevive Paraba, Nerhaya Talledo, Ma. Concepcion Ibarra, Nerfa Awing, and Wingwing Daunsay. These are eight teachers and the administrator of Salugpungan Community Learning Center and the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao, and two teachers from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers. The four accused church clerics were acquitted.

Click here to register for the webinar

You are invited to register for this upcoming info webinar, On the State of Filipino Children. The webinar is hosted by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) in partnership with Stichting voor Filippijnse Kinderen (Foundation for Filipino Children), Children’s Rehabilitation Center, and Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns.

This report on the state of Filipino children will come just before president Marcos Jr delivers his State of the Nation Address, which has historically been an opportunity for the Philippine president to sweep human rights abuses and economic crisis under the rug to gain favour from foreign powers. Speakers will describe the impacts of US-led militarization and counterinsurgency on Filipino children, and the human rights violations and war crimes that are regularly committed against them in this context. We will also hear about how solidarity allies around the world can amplify the voices of Filipino children and offer our support.

Click here to register for the webinar

Only one month left to register for the Kapit Bisig conference and ICHRP 5th General Assembly!

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, in partnership with the Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, will hold Kapit Bisig: Linking Arms Across the World Against the US War of Suppression on the Filipino People on September 25-26, followed by ICHRP’s 5th General Assembly on September 27.

To find out more and to register, head to ichrp.net/KapitBisig