Register at ichrp.net/Oct14Webinar

Date and time: October 14 at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern / October 15 at 8am Philippines

Join the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) for a webinar this coming October 14/15 about the anti-corruption protests, and the connections between this issue and the broader plunder and extraction from the Philippines by local and foreign elites – plunder that acutely affects the peasant farmers of the Philippine countryside. Our webinar will feature speakers from the people’s movement in the Philippines, from the peasant movement, as well as members of ICHRP and information on our campaign to support peasant farmers this month. Speakers will include:

• Maria Sol Taule, Lawyer with Karapatan
• Teddy Casiño, Former Congressman with Bayan Muna
• Peter Murphy, Chairperson of ICHRP

Register at ichrp.net/Oct14Webinar

ICHRP Calls Upon Vigilance and Full Process for Justice

Fri Oct 10 – The recent decision of ICC pre-trial judges to deny Former Philippine President Duterte’s request for interim release is the right and just. “We welcome this as a decision that upholds the safety, rights and wishes of the victims who have faced the terror of Duterte’s Presidency,” stated Patricia Lisson, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Vice Chairperson. 

The decision comes after Duterte’s camp requested his interim release citing health concerns. In a 23-page response to the request, ICC pre-trial judges determined that as former President of the Philippines, Duterte “appears to have the necessary political contacts” to “help him abscond.” The judges’ decision highlighted that if he was released, he could “pose a threat to (potential) witnesses, either directly or indirectly through his supporters.”

ICHRP, as a human rights organization, calls on the international community to continue to stand in solidarity with the victims by condemning the ongoing harassment faced by their surviving families. “We must not allow this re-victimization of the families and survivors who have been at the forefront of the movement for justice. We must continue to stand behind them, provide any support possible, and demand justice for the thousands of victims of Duterte’s war on the poor and dissent,” says Lisson. 

“This ruling is an affirmation of the victims’ assertion that Duterte is a threat to their rights and must remain behind bars until his trial is seen through to completion,” stated Lisson. “The judges’ decision casts further doubt on the validity of the previous claims of Duterte’s camp that he is  “unfit for trial due” to health concerns. There should be assurance made to the victims and their families that the case moves forward swiftly until there is justice.” 

The Court has previously charged Duterte with “crimes against humanity: in September. The charges include murders for which he has responsibility between 2013 – 2016 during his time as Mayor in Davao City, as well as murders during his time as President, including the killing of 14 so-called “high-value” targets from 2016-2017, as well as 43 murders during “clearance” operations between 2016-2018. These killings for which he is facing trial amount to only a tiny fraction of the 30,000 killings which occurred under his regime and during his all out war against the poor, against dissenters, and against rural and indigenous people. 

Since his Presidency, the ICHRP has thoroughly documented his guilt in crimes against the Filipino people, including war crimes. “President Duterte must face justice for his unspeakable crimes against the people,” said Lisson. “In this time of increasing and worsening corruption in the Philippines, so must all, including current President Marcos, who continues to stoke the anger of the Filipino people for his corruption rife and fascist regime.”

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Urgent Alert
October 11, 2025

ICHRP condemns the reported surveillance and harassment of delegates of “Grounding Solidarity: A Learning and Solidarity Mission to Communities Affected by Climate Injustice and Militarism.”

On Saturday October 11th, delegates reported harassment by elements linked to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) at their campsite in Mindoro while others reported being surveilled by covert agents in their respective lodgings in Leyte and Manila mission legs.

Reports indicate that covert agents surveilled delegates’ lodgings and photographed participants without consent. Meanwhile in Mindoro, barangay officials arrived at the campsite demanding a mayor’s permit and a complete list of all delegates, insisting that the previously submitted courtesy letter was “not official.” Officials threatened to declare participants persona non grata if they failed to comply.

According to People Rising for Climate Justice, “Under existing laws, no barangay or mayor’s permit is legally required to hold activities on private premises. There is no law that compels disclosure of the names of participants or delegates, especially in advocacy, humanitarian, or mission-related activities. This includes foreign delegates, whose entry and presence are governed by immigration law.”

In their statement, People Rising for Climate Justice stated “Even as NTF‑ELCAC agents threatened the delegates, the very presence of the mission proved a decisive win. The need for solidarity for affected communities by twin evils of climate injustice and militarism underscores the need to protect the environment and its defenders.”

ICHRP echoes this response from ISM organizers. The surveillance and harassment of ISM delegates further exposes the Philippine government’s active campaign to squash the efforts of people’s organizations. On the one hand, people’s organizations in the Philippines seek to address the economic, environmental and social problems of the country and develop people-to-people solidarity towards genuine solutions to the global climate crisis. On the other hand, the Philippine government sends state forces to try to disrupt and disband people’s organizing while government officials pocket people’s funds through massive schemes of corruption and plunder. 

These incidents emphasize the urgent need for global solidarity for the Filipino people’s struggle for land and self-determination. This October, during peasant month, ICHRP calls on the international community to remain vigilant in monitoring the International Solidarity Mission to rural communities and to be bold in exposing the realities faced by peasants and indigenous people in the Philippines. 

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For regular updates and more information, follow People’s Rising for Climate Justice on Social Media. 

Throughout October and beyond, ICHRP is campaigning to build international solidarity with the peasants of the Philippines. Here’s a look at what’s coming up this month.

In the Philippines, a majority of the population are peasant farmers who subsist mainly on agriculture. These peasants suffer the brunt of the impacts of government corruption & state violence, and stand on the frontlines in the struggle for self-determination and genuine land reform.

As we seek to expand solidarity support for the Filipino people’s struggle, it is critical we increase support for the the intensifying struggle of the peasants against corruption, plunder, fascism, and foreign dominance.

October 14: Educational Webinar On the Filipino People’s Struggle Against Corruption, Plunder & Fascism & The Call for Solidarity
Join ICHRP on October 14 at 8pm US Eastern time / October 15 at 8am Manila time to hear directly from mass leaders in the Philippines on the impacts of the Sept 21st protests and their relation to the peasant struggle and the struggle of the whole Filipino people.

October 11-15: International Solidarity Mission
The ISM is bringing together delegates from across the world, including over 50 individuals from ICHRP, to visit communities affected by climate change, environmental destruction, and militarization. Participants will witness the situation of peasant & indigenous communities to build international solidarity and promote the real situation on a global scale.

October 16-17: Asia Pacific People’s Conference Against Climate Imperialism and Militarism
The conference will unite environmental defenders across the region to expose US led militarism, imperialist exploitation and local elite collusion. The conference aims to chart a path towards climate justice, genuine peace and the defense of sovereignty, and to amplify the struggles of the poor, indigenous peoples, women youth and all those on the frontlines.

October 21: Lakbayan in the Philippines & Global Day of Action in Support of Filipino Peasants
This day of action, on the anniversary of Marcos Sr. fake land reform program, will bring together farmers from all over the Philippines and uplift their struggles and demands in Manila. While we seek to promote and amplify the findings of the ISM and Conference that will be completed on the 17th, we are calling on solidarity allies all over the world to respond with protest actions in support of the peasant movement.

Throughout October: Fundraiser in support of the Filipino peasant movement and the International Solidarity Mission
We are calling on members and friends of ICHRP to fundraise to support the peasant movement in their October activities, especially support for the October 21st lakbayan and staffing costs for hosting the international solidarity mission. Look out for more information on how to contribute.