'This recognition is a strong statement of solidarity and an affirmation, above all, that the work that we do as human rights defenders is not a crime or terrorism,' says rights group Karapatan
#CourageOn coalition to Duterte gov t: No excuse for abuse during pandemic
May 6, 2021 7:30 AM PHT
The coronavirus pandemic is not an excuse for the Duterte government to violate human rights of Filipinos, a coalition said on Wednesday, May 5.
“#CourageON: No lockdown on rights” coalition, composed of human rights groups and organizations, condemned the widespread attacks and abuse seen in the Philippines amid a health crisis.
Hindi niyo maaaring alisin ang karapatan nating magtanong, mag-usisa, at humingi ng kasagutan sa mga nangyayari sa mga panahong ito, writer-director Bibeth Orteza of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) said.
(You cannot take away our right to ask, scrutinize, and ask for solutions to what is happening in our country now.)
Human rights in the Philippines: Latest news, campaigns
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What you need to know
The Philippines human rights situation is dire, with the number of extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and attacks against activists and critics unparalleled since the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.
This is made worse by the Duterte government s inadequate and militarized response to the pandemic that has brought us to this: more than a million COVID-19 cases by May 2. Failed contact tracing, confusing protocols, delayed assistance to those who needed it most, incoherent policies, lack of transparency, and a slow vaccine rollout – all these have led to the abuse of basic human rights: the right to live, to work, to study, and to be protected by the state.
UN, ICC must act now vs worsening situation under Duterte – report
Mar 17, 2021 7:41 AM PHT
As domestic remedies continue to fail, international accountability mechanisms now have to step in to address the worsening human rights situation under President Rodrigo Duterte.
This is one of the calls of global coalition Investigate PH in its initial report on the widespread culture of impunity in the Philippines.
Foreign bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) should be using all available mechanisms to restrain these state abuses and hold the perpetrators accountable. Our investigation raised hopes among the victims that help – and justice – might come from the international community, Investigate PH said in its report launched on Tuesday night, March 16.