Press Release

September 20, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) hails Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano for speaking the truth in a press conference hosted and prepared by the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).  The two environmental activists were abducted last September 2 in the province of Bataan, Philippines but maliciously reported by NTF-ELCAC as NPA surrenderees.

“Jonila and Jhed publicly declared that they were abducted and threatened to sign an affidavit while inside a military camp. This belies the NTC-ELCAC’s narrative that they voluntarily surrendered to authorities,” said Peter Murphy, ICHRP Global Council Chairperson.

In that press conference organized by the NTF-ELCAC in the Municipal Hall of Plaridel, Bulacan, the two testified to being abducted by the military, threatened with their lives and forced to sign an affidavit admitting that they were NPA surrenderees.

“Their revelation exposes the convoluted narrative concocted by the NTF-ELCAC and the military. We hold government authorities involved in the abduction accountable for the mental and possibly physical torture, coercion, intimidation, and illegal arrest and detention of Jonila and Jhed. The involvement of the mayor of Plaridel, Bulacan in the press conference exemplified the ineffectiveness and danger of involving the local government and other civilian agencies as part of the whole of nation approach embodied in the National Security Policy of Bongbong Marcos government, ” continued Murphy.

Jonila Castro said in front of local government officials, military, and media: “Ang totoo po, dinukot kami ng mga militar, sakay ng van. Napilitan din kami na sumurrender dahil pinagbantaan yung buhay namin. Yun po ang totoo. (The truth is we were abducted by the military aboard a van. We were forced to surrender because they threatened to kill us. That is the truth.)”  

Abductions and forced disappearances of activists in the Philippines continue to run rampant with the current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s administration. Just recently, on September 15, 2023, peasant organizer Bea Lopez and tricycle driver Peter Agrabante were reportedly abducted in Sipalay City in the province of Negros Occidental. On the morning of September 16, Agrabante’s body was reportedly found near a cliff in Basay, Negros Oriental. Indigenous rights activists Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz “Bazoo” De Jesus who were abducted last April 28 also remain missing.

“We congratulate the Filipino people in their relentless effort to seek the whereabouts of the victims and amplify incidents of enforced disappearances and other human rights and international humanitarian law violations. This led to the surfacing of Jonila and Jhed by the military and NTF-ELCAC, and their subsequent release after the freedom-loving Filipino people trooped to the Plaridel Municipal Hall to demand their release. The truth backed by people’s action set them free,” added Murphy.  

“We urge the international community to amplify the calls to surface and release all victims of enforced disappearances. We demand justice for the abduction of Jonila and Jhed along with all victims of enforced disappearances and other human rights and international humanitarian law violations in the Philippines. We reiterate our call to abolish NTF-ELCAC and junk the Anti-Terror Law,” concluded Murphy.

For comment: Peter Murphy, Chairperson, ICHRP Global Council +61 418 312 301

Media Statement

September 16, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) welcomes journalist and Nobel Prize recipient Maria Ressa’s acquittal from a Philippine tax evasion case. The decision was promulgated by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 157 on September 12.

“Ressa’s acquittal serves not just a victory for Philippine news website Rappler, but also for journalism and democracy at large. This legal triumph proves the politically motivated character of the charges, which sought to silence those who were critical of the grave human rights violations of the Duterte administration,” said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the ICHRP Global Council.

“While we welcome this development, in no way does it absolve the Duterte government of the crimes it perpetrated against the Philippine press. It must be remembered that his administration was openly hostile to the media, resulting in countless attacks on journalists and on press freedom,” continued Murphy.

It should be noted that while Ressa and Rappler have emerged victorious on their fifth and last tax evasion case, Rappler still faces two charges—an appeal on its closure order before the Philippine Court of Appeals, and a pending appeal on a cyber libel case before the Philippine Supreme Court. Under Ressa’s leadership, Rappler was consistently critical of Duterte’s policies, especially his infamous “war on drugs”. This attracted the administration’s ire and prompted a string of legal attacks intended to silence and intimidate all journalists critical of his brutal regime.

Ressa’s acquittal is a small but important victory among the numerous cases of attacks against the press under the Duterte government. As documented by INVESTIGATE PH, his government saw the killing of 23 journalists, the shutdown of free-to-air broadcasts by media giant ABS-CBN, and the threat to sue Philippine Daily Inquirer journalist Tetch Torres-Tupas over her report on 2 indigenous peoples who were the first to be charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act. 

This war on dissent has continued with no let up under the Marcos Jr. government. Some of the prominent cases include the brutal slay of broadcaster Percy Lapid on October 3, 2022, the ambush which led to the killing of editorial cartoonist Benharl Kahil on November 5, 2022, and Rappler journalist Frank Cimatu’s conviction of cyber libel on December 14, 2022.

“We call on the Marcos Jr. government to cease forthwith its abuse of the judicial process and its entire policy of political repression. It must actively put a stop to the attacks not just on press freedom but also on anyone who is critical of its policies. The Philippine government should stop making trumped-up charges against those who are defending the rights of the oppressed people. ICHRP will continue to keep watch and expose the Philippine government’s human rights and international humanitarian law violations,” concluded Murphy.

For comment: Peter Murphy, Chairperson, ICHRP Global Council +61 418 312 301

Media Statement

September 11, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) joins the call of progressive and human rights groups to surface Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano. The two women environmental activists were reportedly abducted last September 2 by four armed men aboard a sports utility vehicle in front of the Orion Water District in Brgy. Lati, Orion, Bataan in Central Luzon.

“It has been more than a week and the whereabouts of Castro and Tamano remain unknown. ICHRP condemns the non-cooperation of the Philippine National Police in helping the families of the victims. We also condemn the NTF-ELCAC’s opportunistic red-tagging of the two,” ICHRP Global Council Chairperson Peter Murphy said.

“The Orion PNP’s refusal to accept a police blotter and sign a desaparecido form submitted by Castro’s mother raises questions on their possible involvement in the abduction. They have also refused to show CCTV footage to the victims’ families, citing orders from police higher-ups. We would like to remind the PNP of their legal mandate to serve and protect their constituents,” continued Murphy.

On September 6, around eight (8) police from Plaridel, Bulacan in civilian uniform reportedly visited the home of Castro’s mother. Introducing themselves as intelligence officers, they asked about Castro’s educational background and organizational affiliation, supposedly for verification. Before they left one of the policemen introduced himself as Sgt. De Leon. Less than an hour later, her mother was again visited by a military officer also in civilian uniform.

Castro and Tamano are volunteers of AKAP KA Manila Bay. They were on their way to a consultation to prepare for a relief operation with affected farmers and fisherfolk in a community in Bataan when they were abducted.

AKAP Ka Manila Bay (Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Pagtatanggol sa Kabuhayan, Paninirahan at Kalikasan ng Manila Bay (Citizens’ Alliance to Defend Livelihood, Settlement and Environment in Manila Bay)) is an alliance of primarily marginalized residents along Manila Bay area convened by church people and fisherfolk organizations to forward issues concerning affected stakeholders.  

Ongoing reclamation projects around Manila Bay have been met with strong opposition from several residents, human rights and environmental groups, citing its disastrous effects to nature and to the affected residents’ livelihood and settlement. Prior to their abduction, Castro and Tamano have previously reported being surveilled. 

“Castro and Tamano’s abduction marks the 9th and 10th victims of enforced disappearance under the Marcos Jr. presidency. These disappearances are part of a broader War on Dissent which are central to the government’s counter-insurgency initiatives. Their case also adds to the long list of attacks on environmental activists, reaffirming the Philippines’ label as the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders. The recent days-long flooding in areas around Manila Bay may serve a lesson to the Philippine government to heed the clamor of its citizens to put a stop to the devastating reclamation projects in Manila Bay,“ concluded Murphy.  

For comment: Peter Murphy, Chairperson, ICHRP Global Council +61 418 312 301

Press Release

September 6, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) calls for the withdrawal of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) engagement as private sector representative to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“While the CBCP has clarified that only its Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs is engaging with the NTF-ELCAC to ‘address some Church issues vis-a-vis government’, the NTF-ELCAC’s gross record of human rights violations should be enough reason for the CBCP to cease any form of involvement with them,” said ICHRP Global Council Chairperson Peter Murphy.

“Instead of joining and allowing itself to be used to legitimize NTF-ELCAC, the CBCP should be calling for its abolition for it has been a tool used to demonize church people and freedom loving Filipino people who are exemplifying genuine services to their members and to their country,” added Murphy.

Church people have been victims to NTF-ELCAC’s red-tagging rampage. Last February 22, Negros Catholic Bishop Gerardo Alminaza was red-tagged during a segment of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI)’s television program “Laban Kasama ng Bayan”. SMNI serves as the NTF-ELCAC’s propaganda machine.

“By involving the church, the NTF-ELCAC is blatantly abusing its so-called ‘whole-of-nation approach’ and it seems to have forgotten the separation of church and state,” continued Murphy.

The NTF-ELCAC was established on December 4, 2018, through then President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) 70. Its stated goal is to end the communist armed rebellion in the country, which is one of the longest running insurgencies in the world. But instead of addressing the root causes of the armed conflict, the NTF-ELCAC has resorted to baseless red-tagging, harassing, vilifying, and surveilling activists, human rights defenders, church workers, peasants, and workers. Many of those previously red-tagged end up dead or in jail with trumped-up charges.

“Joining the NTF-ELCAC is not the best way to address church issues with the government. We urge the CBCP to demand that the government respect the Filipino people’s fundamental rights and support their desire for a just peace and genuine development. ICHRP remains vigilant in exposing the Philippine government’s attempts to further its spate of human rights and international humanitarian law violations,” concluded Murphy. ###

For comment: Peter Murphy, Chairperson, ICHRP Global Council +61 418 312 301