November 5, 2026
Statement
This past September, just days ahead of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines’ (ICHRP’s) Global General Assembly in Toronto, Canada on September 27th, US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) unjustly detained ICHRP-US Executive Committee member Gordon Mutch, denied him of his basic rights, and prevented him from entering Canada.
ICHRP is outraged at the actions of US CBP, and we vehemently condemn the increasing state repression against solidarity support for the Filipino people’s struggle for rights.
The treatment of Mutch was cruel and without due process or cause. While Mutch was en route to Canada via train in New York state, CBP boarded the train, removed Mutch from the train, handcuffed him, and held him for four hours. CBP seized his phone and laptop and also denied Mutch’s assertion of his right to a lawyer.
This incident follows Mutch’s denied entry from the Philippines in 2025, when he was prevented from entering the Philippines en route to ICHRP’s International Observers Mission of the midterm elections.
This incident with CBP also occurs in the larger context of increasing repression against overseas Filipinos and solidarity activists. Mutch has been active in a campaign to free Filipino-American political prisoner Christina Pasion, who was detained without basis while in the Philippines serving rural communities. Pasion’s family and community advocates have reported that the FBI has visited their homes and workplaces on multiple occasions since a red-tagging campaign targeting Pasion commenced over six months ago.
In April this year, two Filipino-Americans, including ICHRP-US leader Lyle Prijoles, were killed in Negros Occidental. En route to visit Negros on a fact-finding mission, newly-elected ICHRP Chairperson Sadie Stone was denied entry into the country.
Repression against overseas Filipinos and solidarity activists abroad is worsening, and the writing is on the wall: the recent targeting of Mutch, as well as Christina Pasion’s family and advocates, point to a coordinated effort of the US and Philippine government in silencing dissent.
Why deny Mutch entry to Canada to participate in the ICHRP General Assembly? Why deny Stone entry to the Philippines to investigate the killing of Prijoles and 18 others integrating with rural impoverished sugar workers?What is the US-Marcos regime covering up?
ICHRP, however, will not be intimidated. The escalating targeting of solidarity efforts only further highlights the urgent need for an international response to the worsening human rights crisis in the Philippines, and emboldens us to strengthen and build the full range of support for the Filipino people’s pursuit of their rights.
