Press Release

October 7, 2023

“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) expresses its anger and condemnation at the Philippine National Police for executing 67-year-old trade union organizer Jude Thaddeus Fernandez, in Rizal,” said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy today.

On the afternoon of September 29, 2023, a neighbour heard two gunshots and witnessed police carrying a body out of a house on a stretcher. On October 2, a Rapid Response Team from the Centre for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) was able to locate Fernandez’ body in a funeral parlour at Binangonan, Rizal, and confirm that elements of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) shot him while executing a search warrant. The police claimed “nanlaban” (he resisted) to justify this execution, even though Fernandez was unarmed. 

“Nanlaban” has been the routine explanation for over 30,000 police killings in alleged anti-drug operations over the last seven years.

The police have refused so far to release Fernandez’ body to his relatives, saying that there is a PhP2 million (USD35,306) bounty to be claimed for it before it can be released. The existence of a bounty indicates a targeted killing.

Jude Fernandez is the 72nd victim of labor-related killing since July 2016, and the fourth labor leader/organizer assassinated since the International Labour Organisation High Level Tripartite Mission visited the Philippines in January this year. The Marcos government at that meeting reportedly admitted that these political killings had occurred and promised to change its counter-insurgency strategy which defined trade unionism as terrorism. Nothing happened.

“ICHRP calls on the global community to join in condemning the ongoing slaughter of trade unionists and other human rights defenders in the Philippines, to work to end the brazen impunity of the Philippine government armed security forces. The different human rights violations committed against Fernandez; the right to life, the right to organize union and even the refusal to tender his remains clearly portray the anti-people characteristic of the Philippine government’s National Security Plan and a blatant non-respect to its signature to different international covenants and bodies of the United Nations,” said Murphy.

Relatives, CTUHR personnel, and different workers organizations have maintained a vigil over the body for the last two nights and days.

Jude Fernandez began organizing trade unions during the Marcos dictatorship and was a much-respected veteran organizer of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU- May First Movement) Labor Center.

KMU likens this to the brutal killings of union leaders Dandy Miguel and Manny Asuncion in March 2021, Asuncion being one of the nine victims slain in the Bloody Sunday massacre.

Binangonan, Rizal province, is the area where Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo De Jesus, two Indigenous Peoples’ rights defenders, were forcibly abducted by men who identified as working with the police, on April 28, 2023.

Justice for Jude Fernandez!

Immediate Independent Investigation of the killing of Jude Fernandez!

Abolish NTF-ELCAC and Repeal the Anti-Terrorism Law!

For further comment: Peter Murphy +61 418 312 301 chairperson@ichrp.net 

ICHRP Statement on the 51st anniversary of Martial Law
September 21, 2023

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) stands with the Filipino people’s continuing struggle for the full recognition and respect for their rights on this 51st anniversary  of the declaration of Martial Law by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. We commend the courage, strength and commitment of the Filipino people to defend their rights and for fighting for a just peace and genuine development.

“No amount of historical revisionism and disinformation from the Marcos family and its cronies can erase the memories of the Filipino people and the international community of the horror and  terror wrought by dictator Marcos’ martial law. No amount of historical whitewashing can erase the Filipino people’s struggle to bring down the fascist dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. that now continues under the administration of his son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.,” states ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy .

In a recent press conference, two environmental activists who went missing – Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano – declared they had been abducted by the Philippine military and coerced into signing false affidavits while in the military camp. This is in stark contrast to the NTF-ELCAC’s claim that Castro and Tamano had “voluntarily surrendered” to the military and were “safe and sound” under their custody. The active involvement and cooperation of the local government in Castro and Tamano’s case demonstrates the “whole-of-nation” approach of the Philippine government’s so-called counterinsurgency program. This act is reminiscent of the dark days of Martial Law where the dictator, its fascist military and the Philippine Constabulary,  together with different government agencies terrorized the populace.

We again remind  the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) of its prophetic duty to take good care of the welfare of its flock. It is high time for the CBCP to  withdraw from the NTF-ELCAC as a private sector representative and help end the climate of impunity.

ICHRP agrees with and is calling for international support for the Filipino people’s demand to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL), two anti-people legal instruments established under the administration of Rodrigo Duterte but continued and beefed up now under Marcos Jr. It strongly supports the call of the Filipino to not forget the massive repression endured by the majority and to not allow the oppressive acts of Martial Law to remain.

During the most recent Universal Periodic Review on the Philippines  the international community denounced the NTF-ELCAC and the practice of systemic red-tagging and terrorist-branding through the ATL by the Philippine government as violations of human rights. “We in ICHRP recognize that red-tagging, enforced disappearances, and the continuing political killings are grave violations against human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), in that through its so-called counterinsurgency program, the Philippine government targets civilians and non-combatants in the throes of an internationally-recognized civil war,” Murphy continued. 

According to Philippine human rights group Karapatan,  over 60 extrajudicial killings and 28 frustrated killings have been committed from June 2022 to July 2023 under Marcos Jr. There are also 7,712 documented victims of indiscriminate firings, 6,931 victims of bombings/shelling. In addition, 13,905 became victims of forced evacuations, and 1,582,239 victims were subjected to threat/harassment and intimidation. 

“We further call on governments around the world to end their support to the Marcos Jr. administration and to the Philippine military until these egregious violations of human rights and  international humanitarian law stop and justice is attained for the victims and their families,” Murphy ended. ###

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

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