Press Release
January 4, 2024

“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) strongly condemns the disproportionate use of weapons in an aerial bombardment by the 403rd Infantry Brigade, 4th Infantry Division of the AFP on December 25 until December 26, 2023, in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, in Northern Mindanao. This demonstrates a brazen disrespect for human rights and international humanitarian law by the AFP,” said Peter Murphy, ICHRP Chairperson.

The bombings from drones, fighter jets, and firing of howitzers at a rebel camp and its surrounding area took place during a two-day unilateral ceasefire declared by the New People’s Army (NPA). Instead of reciprocating the ceasefire, the AFP launched military offensives, brazenly violating the rules of engagement. In the Bukidnon incident, the AFP used multiple 250-pound bombs and artillery rounds made by Israeli company Soltam Systems. 10 people were reportedly killed during the bombardment, and the explosions caused environmental destruction and terror in villages surrounding the area.

In an earlier incident, on December 17, 2023, the 59^th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, augmented by Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force troopers, killed two civilians and five NPA in an attack against an NPA encampment in Batangas, Southern Tagalog. Human rights workers documented the desecration of the bodies of the seven, including signs of rape. Relatives could hardly identify the bodies. The two civilians, Pretty Sheine Anacta, 19, and Rose Jane Agda, 30, were said to be visiting a relative in the NPA. 

Murphy continued, “Through its disproportionate use of force and terrorizing of local farmers during the military offensives, the AFP violated international humanitarian law (IHL) and showed blatant disregard for the well-being of the people. This violation of the rules of war is especially shocking given the recent indication of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) to resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which represents 18 revolutionary organizations including the NPA.”

These recent AFP offensives are part of a series of bombings and other attacks on alleged NPA members in civilian areas. As reported by human rights alliance Karapatan, over 22,000 people across the Philippines were affected by AFP bombings between July 2022 and November 2023. These violent bombardments and military action in the countryside are part of the GRP’s so-called “counter-insurgency” strategy, which  utilizes tactics including forced evacuation; hamleting and forcible reconcentration of civilian communities; forced “surrendering” of civilians; arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearances; torture; and extrajudicial killings.

“In the face of such brutality from the AFP in its war against the NPA, ICHRP reiterates its support to the Filipino people’s call for a genuine solution to the armed conflict by addressing the roots including widespread poverty, lack of jobs and industry, and the uneven distribution of land,” continued Murphy. “We have expressed support to the November 2023 joint statement of the GRP and NDFP indicating their desire to resume peace talks, providing a path towards just and lasting peace in the country.

“ICHRP calls on both parties to respect previous agreements such as the Hague Joint Declaration, the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), which guarantees the safety of peace negotiators, consultants, staff and all those who are involved in the peace negotiations.”

Further comment: Peter Murphy, ICHRP Chairperson, +61418312301, chairperson@ichrp.net

Press Release

December 16, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) joins the Filipino people in amplifying the call for the resumption of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

“The Oslo Communique signed last November 23 is a positive step towards resumption of the peace process. It is a fitting development because today marks one year since the passing of former NDFP Chief Political Consultant Professor Jose Maria Sison, who dreamt of a just and lasting peace for his motherland. He played a key role in peace negotiations between the NDFP and GRP through several decades,” said ICHRP Global Chairperson Peter Murphy.

Jose Maria “Ka Joma” Sison’s contributions to the Filipino people’s struggle for a just and genuine peace in the Philippines cannot be overstated. As Chief Political Consultant of the NDFP, he helped forge several agreements between the two parties, such as the The Hague Joint Declaration in 1992 that outlined the objective, the framework, and the agenda of the peace negotiations; the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) in 1995; and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) in 1998, among others.

The approval of CARHRIHL by the principals of the two Parties in 1998 was very significant. The Parties agreed to respect human rights and to be bound by the principles of international humanitarian law while they are at war. The CARHRIHL is one of the four substantive agenda items of the peace talks.

In 2016, both Parties agreed to tackle the specifics of the draft agreement on the second agenda, socio-economic reforms.

The provisions of the draft Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) comprise the bulk of the peace agenda, since socio-economic reforms in Philippine society are central to resolving the roots of the armed conflict – poverty, joblessness, and landlessness. The Negotiating Panels reported in 2017 that they were almost done and very eager to sign the CASER.

“It is unfortunate that former President Duterte terminated the peace talks through Proclamation 360, just when major progress was being made in 2017. The passage of CASER is pivotal in the upcoming rounds of peace negotiations in 2024, if both parties want to advance to the next peace agenda item, political and constitutional reforms,” added Murphy.

“While we are hopeful that the peace negotiations in 2024 will bear fruit, ICHRP will continue to expose and oppose the continuing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law happening in the Philippines. We want to let President Marcos Jr. know that the international community is closely watching his government,” concluded Murphy.

Further comment: Peter Murphy, ICHRP Chairperson, +61418312301

chairperson@ichrp.net

Press Release

December 14, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) stands in solidarity with jeepney drivers and operators who are conducting a nationwide strike on December 14-15 in the Philippines. “This strike follows the November 20-22 nationwide jeepney drivers’ strike, which was 90 per cent effective, but the Marcos Jr. government isn’t listening yet,” said Peter Murphy, ICHRP Global Council Chairperson. 

The strike is led by PISTON (Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Unity of Association of Drivers and Operators Nationwide), a national federation of workers in public transportation. They are protesting the violation by the Philippine government of their economic, social and cultural rights. The phaseout puts their livelihood at stake, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands families.

“The Philippine government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) is a PUV phaseout disguised as modernization. It serves not the interests of small jeepney drivers and operators, but of big corporations who will take over the Philippine public transportation sector,” said Murphy. “Currently jeepneys are produced in the Philippines using imported second-hand engines. ‘Modern’ jeepneys will be fully imported.”

The Philippine government Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the PUVMP in 2017. It plans to replace traditional jeepneys which are 15 years old or older with modern, imported jeepneys which cost around Php 2.5 – 2.8 million (US$44,800 – 50,200) per unit. It is more than triple the price of ordinary jeepneys, which is around Php 600,000 to 800,000 (US$10,700 – 14,300). 

The exorbitant amount needed to purchase a single modern jeepney is clearly unaffordable for the average jeepney driver who earns a meager P500 (US$8.92) daily income, which is reduced further by skyrocketing diesel prices in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the minimum fare is expected to increase up to P25 (US$0.45), almost double its current amount of P13 (US$0.23). 

Thousands of jeepney drivers and operators decry the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB)’s December 31 deadline for application for franchise consolidation. Under franchise consolidation, the LTFRB will implement its so-called “one franchise, one route, one operator” scheme. Only corporations and cooperatives which own a minimum of 15 modern jeepney units will be allowed to operate a franchise. Drivers and operators who do not apply for consolidation will not be allowed to ply the roads starting January 1, 2024.

“Only big corporations and capitalists stand to benefit from this sham modernization program. It is an affront to the social and economic rights not only of the hundreds of thousands of drivers and operators, but also to the millions of Filipino commuters who rely every day on affordable transportation provided by jeepney drivers nationwide,” continued Murphy.

“The right to work and to freely choose one’s work for a living is enshrined in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR) of the United Nations. The Marcos Jr. government must be reminded that the Philippines is a signatory to this treaty.”

“The corporate capture of the Philippine public transportation sector is evident of the continued adherence to neoliberal policies by Marcos Jr. ICHRP supports the call of drivers and operators to junk the PUVMP, and instead push for a genuinely pro-people modernization program, by supporting the development of the local jeepney manufacturing industry,” concluded Murphy.

Further comment: Peter Murphy, ICHRP Chairperson, +61418312301

chairperson@ichrp.net

Statement
December 10, 2023

Another year has passed in the Marcos Presidency but the machinery of state terror, including the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Anti-Terror Law, built during the US-Duterte Regime, remain in place. The Anti-Terrorism Act with its broad sweeping powers and the NTF-ELCAC, along with the Philippine National Police (PNP)and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), continue to operate as mechanisms to crush dissent and to violate the civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of citizens. 

The Philippines continues to be a killing ground for perceived political dissidents, community organizers, indigenous people, rights advocates, and alleged drug suspects. As we mark the 75^th commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ICHRP denounces the ongoing attacks and violations of the rights of the Filipino people by the Marcos Jr administration. But on a more optimistic note we are heartened by the recent joint statement of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) signalling a potential resumption of the peace process that had been abruptly ended by the fascist Duterte government in November 2017.

ICHRP looks positively on the statements of both parties that the roots of the armed conflict need to be addressed. There are a number of important agreements that have been signed by both parties over the years including The Hague Joint Declaration in 1992, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) in 1995, and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) in 1998. ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy commented that “these previous agreements should be considered more than isulat sa tubig (write it on water) by the GRP as that would undermine the credibility of their commitment to respect the terms of any future agreements.

“ICHRP urges the parties to move on and continue their previous work towards a Compressive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms to be able to address the roots of the armed conflict,” said Murphy. 

“While ICHRP is hopeful that substantive negotiations are steps toward achieving a just and lasting peace we remain deeply concerned about the ongoing level of repression, oppression and exploitation experienced by the Filipino people,” Murphy said. 

At least 13 peace consultants have been murdered by the Philippine government since it withdrew from the peace talks with the NDFP in 2017. Most recently, NDFP peace consultant Rogelio Posadas was arrested and summarily executed by state agents on April 20, 2023. The killing of Posadas came just days after the announcement of the deaths of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon NDFP negotiating panel member and consultants. They were reportedly captured with eight others in August 2022, tortured, killed, and their bodies placed in a boat which was later blown up by the military. Other recent victims in the killing spree against peace consultants rendered hors de combat by the AFP include Erickson Acosta, peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez arrested and then executed in Negros Occidental, on November 30, 2022, and Pedro Codaste on January 21, 2022. “These cases of abduction, torture and execution by the AFP represent clear violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL),” said Murphy. “These killings must stop and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”

We look at the situation in the Philippines in the context of other blatant violations of IHL across the globe such as in: Manipur; Myanmar; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sudan; Yemen; Karabagh; Gaza and elsewhere. In Gaza, where there are documented daily occurrences of indiscriminate bombings of hospitals, schools, refugee camps and evacuation centres, there is the absolute failure of international mechanisms to prevent such atrocities. The failure of global institutions to safeguard and address the ongoing genocide in Palestine and other parts of the world raises troubling concerns about such violations in the Philippines. Typically, such attacks on civilians, with the exception of the atrocities committed by the AFP in Marawi City, occur in remote and isolated rural areas largely invisible to the international community.

Numerous incidents of IHL violations including hamletting, red-tagging, harassment of civilians, and indiscriminate firing and bombing of communities were reported this year in different areas of the Philippines, including Cagayan Valley, Southern Tagalog, Eastern Visayas, Negros Island, and Mindanao. Rural areas of Negros continued to be the scene of ongoing state violence. Several hinterland villages of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, were subjected to artillery shelling last August 5, 2023, by the 62nd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, for one-and-a-half hours, from 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. There were similar reports from the Cordillera region where in March 2023 in Balbalan, Kalinga, residents were unable to see to the irrigation of their rice terraces due to the 5th Infantry Division’s indiscriminate and intensive aerial bombing and artillery firing followed by the massive entry of ground troops into their villages. In June 2023 Karapatan indicated that they had documented up to 6,931 victims of aerial bombings and artillery strikes in the first year of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s rule.

The media also remains under attack from the Marcos government. Journalist, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, remains behind bars facing trumped-up charges. Marcos Jr has not reinstated the broadcast franchise of ABS-CBN suspended by the Duterte Regime. Journalists also continue to be killed by state actors under the Marcos Jr government, including the recent death of Juan Jumalon (DJ Johnny Walker), whose November 5^th killing was live streamed as he was in the middle of an on-air broadcast. The Philippines remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist, with 179 journalists killed since end of the Marcos Sr. Dictatorship in February 1986.

The Marcos Jr. government claims it is addressing the drug war killings, however the Third World Studies Centre reported on June 26, 2023, that there had been 336 “drug-related” killings since Marcos Jr. became president, most during law enforcement anti-drug operations.

Clearly, domestic remedies have failed under both Duterte and Marcos Jr., as elements of the judiciary are complicit in the ongoing war on dissent, using the bench to support military and police attacks on dissenters through warrants of search and arrest that frequently ended in the summary killing of the accused. The courts continue to be used as an element of repression, one element in the entire machinery of the state which has been weaponized in the fascist whole-of-nation approach to target opponents.

In this context we urge the international community and international institutions to stand with the victims and those who struggle for democracy and human rights in the Philippines. We call for continued pressure through international mechanisms and international solidarity to push the Philippine government to action. To this end, we call for:

1. the Philippine government to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) and allow it to conduct investigations in the Philippines related to the alleged Crime Against Humanity of murder and other violations of International Humanitarian Law by the Duterte government.
2. the International Criminal Court to pursue its case against former President Duterte and his senior officials, to follow the evidence and give voice to the victims.
3. the Philippine government to stop the bombings of civilian communities and production areas in the countryside and other grave violations of International Humanitarian Law. 
4. the Marcos Jr. government to respect all previously signed peace agreements with the NDFP and release the 791 political prisoners who remain in detention, and to remove the terrorist designation of the NDFP and Luis Jalandoni and others as a confidence building measures for the peace process. 
5. the suspension of all international aid to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and counter-terrorism programs which would place weapons in the hands of those committing these grave human rights and IHL violations.
6. the Philippine government to uphold human rights and the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its Additional Protocols of 1977.

Further comment: Peter Murphy, ICHRP Chairperson, +61418312301
chairperson@ichrp.net