The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, in partnership with Consortium For People’s Development — Disaster Response, is collecting donations from members of the international community to support relief efforts after the country was ravaged by multiple typhoons in the month of November.

Donations can be submitted at ichrp.net/TyphoonRelief

Within the last two weeks, Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) devastated the Philippines, killing at least 220 and displacing at least 400,000. In its wake, Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung Wong) has killed at least 8 more and displaced nearly 1,500,000. Urgent support is needed to ensure provision of supplies, food, shelter, and recovery efforts in affected areas.

The Filipino people have been particularly affected by recent typhoons as a result of systemic failure of the Marcos Jr regime to implement much needed flood control infrastructure, as well as its failure to limit the impacts of environmentally destructive industries like logging and mining. ICHRP reiterates its call for accountability for all those responsible for massive theft of funds for flood control projects and other infrastructure projects.

Statement
November 14, 2025

On November 2^nd, the governments of Canada and the Philippines announced the signing of a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA). A Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries is an agreement to have closer military ties, making it easier for the armed forces of the two countries to work together.

Canada becomes the fifth country with a VFA deal with the Philippines. The Philippines’ defense network has expanded considerably in recent years—three of those agreements were signed only in the past two years. Manila is a treaty-ally of the United States, bound by a Mutual Defense Treaty and a VFA. The Philippines has SOVFAs with Australia and New Zealand, and a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan. The agreement has also been signed simultaneously to an announcement of the intention of the Philippines, United States, Australia, and Japan to establish the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council.

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) condemns this agreement which is purported to ‘ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific’. It will do the opposite, and further heighten tensions between the USA and China in the South China Sea. 

These military agreements further embolden the fascist Philippine military to violate human rights and international humanitarian law against valiant Filipinos who are defending their national sovereignty and longing for genuine democracy, social justice, and a just peace. These agreements amplify the increasing US militarization of the Asia-Pacific and do nothing to further peace in the region. These agreements are a complete betrayal of human rights and international humanitarian law. Their sole objective is to preserve failing US economic and geo-political dominance in the region and not human rights.

Tensions are high in the South China Sea – West Philippine Sea with both China and the US using the waters around the Philippines as a zone for their ongoing competition for influence in the region. The US and its allies, including Canada, are becoming increasingly provocative in the region, flying patrols 10,000 kms off the North American mainland and carrying out military drills that were clearly orchestrated to goad China. Further, the US has recently announced the planned construction of an ammunition manufacturing and storage hub in Subic Bay to forward-base munitions stockpiles and related materials. The US has also deployed advanced ground-based missile systems to northern Luzon, including the Mid-Range Capability system (capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles) and Naval Strike Missile (NSM) launchers targeting the Chinese mainland.

As Canada lines up with New Zealand, Australia and the USA, in the struggle for control of the South China Sea, the prospects for peace diminish and the people of the Philippines find themselves in the dangerous position of being on the front line in the escalating tensions between two superpowers. According to ICHRP Chair Peter Murphy, “The China containment question seems to be the only consideration in the equation – there is no consideration of the risk of being drawn into the Philippines’ internal civil war, where under repeated regimes the Philippine military has a record of war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law.”  

In the interests of peace for the people of the Philippines, ICHRP calls on the government of Canada to uphold an independent foreign policy, to terminate the VFA, and to use its diplomacy and influence to call for a just peace in the Philippines. We further call on people around the globe to rise up in opposition to the growing war mongering of the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific.

Media statement
November 8, 2025

“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) welcomes indications from within the Philippine government that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is issuing an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, who as Chief of the Philippine National Police supervised former President Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ from July 1, 2016,” said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy.

“This is welcome news to families of the victims, who have waited far too long for justice,” Murphy said.

The report came from Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla speaking in a radio interview. But the warrant has not been announced by the ICC itself. However, a warrant against dela Rosa as Duterte’s co-perpetrator of crimes against humanity should emerge, based on evidence presented to the ICC Prosecutor.

A command memo issued by dela Rosa on Duterte’s first day in office immediately kicked off ‘War on Drugs’ operations. The memo provided directives for Project Double Barrel and its component, Project Tokhang, ordering police to conduct house-to-house visitations of ‘suspected drug personalities’. Warrants were not required, and individuals lacked legal recourse to challenge their inclusion on target lists, denying them due process. The visitations quickly became pretexts for summary executions. Dela Rosa’s command memo encouraged officers to “neutralize” drug suspects, a term echoed in police reports to indicate a target has been killed. There was a quota system, with cash rewards to police who executed suspects.

The PNP has admitted to 4,999 deaths in the ‘war on drugs’ during Dela Rosa’s leadership, and credible estimates put the real figure at 30,000 for the whole of Duterte’s six-year term.

“When the warrant is served, ICHRP calls on the Marcos Jr administration to enforce his arrest and surrender to the ICC as part of the Philippines’ continuing obligations to the court,” said Murphy. The ICC recently ruled that it had jurisdiction to prosecute former President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte, facing a charge of the crime against humanity of murder, had challenged the legality of his detention.

Dela Rosa served as Davao City police chief when Duterte was mayor. Two witness who were members of Duterte’s ‘Davao Death Squad’ have stated that dela Rosa was an “enabler” of Duterte and knew of the squad’s extrajudicial killings.

This past October 21st, members and allies of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines from around the world mobilized as part of our global day of solidarity with the peasant struggle against land-grabbing in the Philippines. Groups from Canada, the US, the UK, Belgium, and Australia joined the day of action by holding rallies and forums, and sharing statements and selfies echoing our calls:

SUPPORT THE PEASANT STRUGGLE FOR GENUINE LAND REFORM!
END AID TO THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY AND POLICE!
END SUPPORT FOR THE US BACKED MARCOS JR REGIME!
END SUPPORT FOR CORRUPTION & PLUNDER IN THE PHILIPPINES!
SOLIDARITY IS NOT A CRIME! LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!

Although peasant month is coming to an end, ICHRP will continue to campaign in support of the peasant struggle for land and just peace. We are continuing to collect funds to support the travel costs of peasant organizers and human rights activists in the Philippines who held activities throughout the month. You can contribute to our fundraiser at ichrp.net/PeasantFundraiser

This article is the fourth in a series on the important work of KMP. The other three articles are available to read here on the ICHRP website: ICHRP celebrates KMP’s 40 years, KMP and the struggle for land, KMP and the struggle against fascism.

Since its founding under the U.S.-backed Marcos Sr. dictatorship, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) has united farmworkers and the peasant masses against not only the local tyranny of the Philippine state’s fascist attacks against the people, but the foreign interests of U.S. neocolonial rule, forging itself over decades into an unshakeable force in both the Philippine and global struggles against imperialism.

Over four decades of struggle, KMP has been among those in the Philippines leading the charge against neoliberal policies such as Marcos Sr.’s version of the “green revolution” of foreign institutions such as the IMF-World Bank, USAID, and other transnational corporations, which bankrupted farmers, destroying traditional farming and locking the peasant masses into a foreign-dependent system.

In recent years, KMP has also fought against Charter Change (ChaCha) to allow foreign land ownership, the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL), and 99-year foreign land leases.

KMP has waged intense struggle against militarization, and was among those who led the call in 1991 to expel U.S. military bases from the Philippines.

U.S. military intervention in the Philippines has not ceased, however, and KMP has continued to oppose military programs like the Balikatin Exercises, large scale military exercises which have resulted in environmental destruction and disrupted the lives and livelihoods of citizens. KMP has also opposed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which gives U.S. troops even greater access to Philippine land.

KMP is also an active participant in global anti-imperialist efforts, carrying the voice of Filipino peasants across the world. KMP has engaged with international alliances like the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), Asian Peasant Coalition (APC), and People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS), to expose and resist imperialist domination.

With another Marcos back in power, KMP’s role in uniting farmers for the anti-imperialist struggle is more vital than ever. ICHRP looks to the example of KMP’s militant history of struggle – that true national freedom and social justice are never given, but must be fought for – and joins the peasant masses in building, strengthening, and advancing the anti-imperialist movement worldwide!