dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

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A United Nations report found tens of thousands of people may have been killed in policedrug operationsin the Philippines during the crackdown.

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/11/philippines-icc-rodrigo-duterte-arrested-drugs-war

>https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G20/156/66/PDF/G2015666.pdf

GROK Summary

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' report (A/HRC/44/22), dated June 29, 2020, provides a comprehensive overview of the human rights situation in the Philippines, focusing on systemic violations linked to national security, counter-terrorism, and the anti-illegal drugs campaign. Below is a summary of the key points:

Introduction and Context

Purpose: Submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 41/2, the report examines ongoing human rights issues in the Philippines since 2015, with historical context from earlier periods.

Methodology: Based on 893 submissions, government input, official documents, and interviews, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) analyzed trends without a country visit due to lack of government permission.

Historical Background: The Philippines, independent since 1946, experienced severe human rights abuses under Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law (1972–1986). The 1987 Constitution established protections, but implementation remains weak amid ongoing armed conflicts with the New People’s Army (NPA) and Moro groups.

Key Human Rights Issues

Anti-Illegal Drugs Campaign

Scale of Killings: Since July 2016, under President Rodrigo Duterte, the campaign has led to widespread killings, with government data citing 5,601 deaths by January 2020, though estimates suggest up to 27,000. OHCHR deems these "widespread and systematic."

Policy and Practices: The Philippine National Police’s “Project Tokhang” (house-to-house visits) lacks due process, relying on “drug watch lists” without legal recourse. Police reports show staged evidence (e.g., reused guns) and formulaic self-defense claims.

Impunity: Only one conviction (Kian delos Santos’ case) is cited despite thousands of deaths. Investigations are hampered by police reluctance, fear of reprisals, and a “presumption of regularity” defense rejected by the Supreme Court.

Detention and Health: Over 223,000 arrests by December 2019, often arbitrary, strain a congested prison system (534% capacity). Mandatory drug rehabilitation and lack of harm reduction violate the right to health.

National Security and Civic Space

Legislative Framework: Laws like the Human Security Act and the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act weaken safeguards, expanding detention periods and vague terrorism definitions. Emergency measures, like a 2016 nationwide state of emergency, persist unduly.

Red-Tagging: Labeling critics as communists/terrorists (“red-tagging”) has led to 208 verified killings of human rights defenders, journalists, and unionists (2015–2019), with impunity prevailing.

Attacks on Civic Actors: Lawyers (40+ killed since 2015), journalists (e.g., Rappler, ABS-CBN targeted), and politicians (e.g., Senator Leila de Lima detained) face violence and legal harassment. Social media amplifies threats.

Indigenous Peoples, Farmers, and Displacement

Land Rights: The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act is undermined by business interests manipulating consent. Militarization (e.g., Memorandum Order No. 32) exacerbates violations against Lumad and farmers.

Displacement: 359,941 people remain displaced in Mindanao (March 2020), with slow Marawi rebuilding fueling radicalization risks.

NPA Abuses: Reports of NPA killings and child recruitment persist, though unverified by OHCHR due to access issues.

Incitement to Violence

High-Level Rhetoric: Duterte and officials have used inflammatory language (e.g., shoot-to-kill orders, rape “jokes”), potentially inciting violations and violating international law.

Conclusions

Systemic Issues: Despite legal safeguards, an overemphasis on security has normalized violations, deepened impunity, and eroded civic trust. The COVID-19 response mirrors this heavy-handed approach.

Accountability Gap: Domestic mechanisms fail, prompting calls for international investigation, including by the International Criminal Court (preliminary examination ongoing).

Recommendations

To the Government: Halt extrajudicial killings, repeal harmful policies (e.g., Circular No. 16-2016), disband paramilitaries, ensure accountability, protect civic space, and fully implement indigenous rights.

To the International Community: Support OHCHR technical assistance, monitor progress, consider international accountability if domestic efforts falter, and enforce business human rights standards.

The High Commissioner offers continued engagement to address these violations and support accountability efforts