HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT PHILIPPINES aktionsbündnis menschenrechte philippinen 2 | Vorwort | 3 ABOUT THE AKTIONSBÜNDNIS MENSCHENRECHTE – PHILIPPINEN TABLE OF CONTENTS The.Aktionsbündnis.Menschenrechte.–.Philippinen.(AMP.–. FOREWORD – QUO VADIS PHILIPPINES?. 4 Action.Network.Human.Rights.–.Philippines).is.an.initiative.of. seven.major.German.church-based.agencies.and.human.rights. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 6 organizations.to.promote.advocacy.and.information.work.in. .Germany.and.the.EU.regarding.the.human.rights.situation.in.the. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE 2012 UPR AND THEIR (INADEQUATE) IMPLEMENTATION .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 Philippines ...Member.Organizations.of.the.AMP.are..Amnesty. International.Germany,.Bread.for.the.World.–..Protestant. KILLINGS OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND JOURNALISTS. 10 Development.Service,.International.Peace.Observers.Network. Killings.of.land.rights.defenders. 10 (IPON),.MISEREOR,.Missio.Munich,.philippinenbüro.e .V ...im. Killings.of.leftist.activists. 10 Asienhaus,.and.the.United.Evangelical.Mission.(UEM) .The. Killings.of.journalists. 11 main.focus.of.the.network.lies.on.the.core.human.rights.issues. Suspected.perpetrators.and.masterminds . 11 of.extrajudicial.killings,.enforced.disappearances,.and.fabricated. The.killing.of.Romeo.Capalla. 12 charges.against.political.activists . CRIMINALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND JOURNALISTS. 13 . Libel.charges. 13 . Libel.charges.against.staff.members.of.the.Philippine-Misereor.Partnership.Inc ..(PMPI). 14 . Fabricated.charges . 15 . Fabricated.charges.against.Amelita.Bravante. 16 WAR ON DRUGS. 17 . Extrajudicial.executions. 17 . Reintroduction.of.the.death.penalty . 18 . The.killings.of.Renato.and.Jaybee.Bertes. 18 IMPUNITY. 19 . Judiciary.failure.to.investigate.grave.human.rights.violations . 19 An indigenous . Ineffective.mechanisms.to.protect.human.rights . 20 family has a candlelit dinner . Failure.to.prosecute.the.perpetrators.of.the.Maguindanao.massacre. 22 COUNTERINSURGENCY AND PARAMILITARY GROUPS. 23 . Human.rights.violations.in.the.context.of.counterinsurgency. 23 . The.killing.of.Fidela.Salvador . 24 IMPRINT . Paramilitary.groups . 25 . The.New.Indigenous.People’s.Army.Reform. 27 ©.2017,.Aktionsbündnis.Menschenrechte.–.Philippinen,.Köln Editor:.Johannes.Icking INDIGENOUS RIGHTS . 28 Authors:.Johannes.Icking,.Robert.Fahrenhorst . Attacks.on.indigenous.communities.in.the.context.of.counterinsurgency . 28 Translation:.SocioTrans,.Marburg . The.killings.of.Emerito.Samarca,.Dionel.Campos,.and.Bello.Sinzo. 29 Layout:.Unikat,.Wuppertal . Human.rights.violations.against.indigenous.anti-mining.activists . 30 Print:.Die.Umweltdruckerei . The.killings.of.Juvy.Capion.and.her.children.Jordan.and.John. 31 Pictures:.Lilli.Breininger.(pp ..2,.4,.6,.7.top),.Jes.Aznar.(pp ..7.bottom,.18) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT . 32 Privat.(pp ..11,.12,.16,.24,.31),.Philippine-Misereor.Partnership.Inc.(p ..14) United.Church.of.Christ.in.the.Philippines.(pp ..20,.27) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER INTERNATIONAL PARTIES. 33 Rolivel.Elusfa.(p ..22),.International.Peace.Observers.Network.–.IPON.(pp ..23,.30) Johannes.Icking.(pp ..21,.28),.Solidagro.(p ..29) LIST OF KILLED HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND JOURNALISTS IN THE PHILIPPINES. 34 4 | Foreword | 5 QUO VADIS PHILIPPINES? The.AMP.pursues.the.goal.of.creating.international. In.response.to.international.criticism,.the.Philippine. When.Rodrigo.Duterte’s.term.of.presidency.began.in. awareness.of.severe.human.rights.violations.against. government.introduced.a.number.of.structural. June.2016,.several.thousand.extrajudicial.killings.of. members.of.churches.and.non-governmental. and.legislative.reforms,.for.example,.passing.a.law. alleged.criminals.were.committed.within.only.a.few. organizations ..In.this.way,.it.seeks.to.contribute.to. against.torture.and.establishing.human.rights.offices. weeks.following.his.appeal.to.take.violent.action.against. motivating.the.Philippine.Government.to.embrace. within.the.military.and.the.police ..The.number.of. drug.dealers.and.drug.consumers ..Fundamental. effective.measures.for.putting.an.end.to.political. political.murders.did,.in.fact,.initially.decrease.during. constitutional.principles.such.as.the.presumption.of. killings.and.other.forms.of.human.rights.violations. Benigno.Aquino’s.presidency ..However,.new.cases. innocence.and.the.right.to.a.fair.trial.were.de.facto. as.well.as.impunity.for.human.rights.offenders ..The. of.politically.motivated.charges.–.so-called.trumped- suspended ..At.the.same.time,.Duterte.made.numerous. AMP.documents.human.rights.violations.and.does. up.charges.–.were.lodged.to.criminalize.political. disparaging.remarks.about.international.human. so.in.close.collaboration.with.Philippine.partner. activists.and.members.of.civil.society.groups.who. rights.standards,.which.are.also.recognized.by.the. organizations ..On.this.basis,.the.AMP.keeps.the.public. then.disappeared.for.years.in.prisons ..In.the.years. Philippines,.and.threatened.that.the.Philippines.would. informed.about.the.situation.in.the.Philippines.and. since,.little.has.been.done.to.change.the.practice.of. pull.out.of.the.United.Nations .. seeks.constructive.and.critical.dialogue.with.political. almost.complete.impunity.for.the.most.serious.human. policymakers.and.the.relevant.institutions.of.the. rights.violations ..In.recent.decades.only.a.handful.of. This.alarming.situation.makes.clear.how.difficult. Federal.Republic.of.Germany,.the.European.Union,. perpetrators.responsible.for.thousands.of.political. documentation.of.human.rights.violations.is,.how. and.the.United.Nations .. killings.and.instances.of.enforced.disappearances.have. important.it.remains,.and.how.vital.the.dialogue.is. been.brought.before.the.courts.and.punished.for.their. about.measures.for.protecting.not.only.the.civil.and. Since.its.inception,.the.network.has.also.contributed. crimes . political.but.also.the.economic,.social,.and.cultural. to.the.Universal.Periodic.Reviews.(UPR).of.the. rights.of.people.in.the.Philippines .. The Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte – Philippinen Philippines.by.the.Human.Rights.Council.of.the. All.in.all,.while.some.minor.headway.had.been.made. – Philippines (AMP – Action Network Human Rights United.Nations,.the.first.of.which.took.place.in.2008 .. at.the.close.of.the.second.reporting.period.in.2012,. On.the.occasion.of.the.third.UPR.of.the.Philippines. – Philippines) was founded in 2007 after the number Shortly.before.the.first.review,.the.then.UN.Special. in.many.areas.things.remained.much.the.same. by.the.Human.Rights.Council.of.the.United.Nations,. of political killings in the Philippines rose drastically Rapporteur.for.extrajudicial,.summary,.and.arbitrary. and.sometimes.even.changed.for.the.worse ..For.the. this.publication.will.therefore.look.back.on.the. nationwide during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos’ executions,.Philip.Alston,.visited.the.Philippines.and. most.part,.the.same.also.holds.true.for.the.years.that. development.of.the.human.rights.situation.over.the. term in office. The victims also included many staff drafted.a.report.that.attracted.vast.attention ..This.report. followed.–.up.until.today,.shortly.before.the.third.UPR .. past.four.years ..This.review.makes.clear.that.key. members from the network’s partner organizations. marked.the.first.time.that.an.international.body.for. The.number.of.political.killings.has.remained.about.as. recommendations.addressed.to.the.Philippines.in.2012. the.protection.of.human.rights.made.explicit.mention. high.as.it.was.in.2012 ..For.the.AMP.and.its.partners,.it. were.implemented.only.poorly.or.not.at.all . of.the.military.and.police.engaging.in.human.rights. is.very.disappointing.that.the.political.reform.initiatives. violations.in.the.Philippines ..Together.with.the.voices. so.far.have.had.practically.no.lasting.effect ..It.is.clear. On.behalf.of.the.Action.Network.Human.Rights.–. of.the.Philippine.and.international.civil.society,.the. that.violations.of.human.rights.are.grounded.in.the. Philippines: report.was.then.also.taken.up.in.the.first.UPR.2008.as. underlying.structural.shortcomings.of.the.police,. the.number.of.political.murders.had.reached.a.climax .. military,.and.judicial.system.as.well.as.government. Jochen Motte failure.and.that.serious.violations.are.causally.linked.to. United Evangelical Mission economic.conflicts.of.interest . Elmar Noé MISEREOR 6 | | 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Between.May.2012.and.September.2016,.at.least. Moreover,.severe.violations.of.human.rights.largely. In.addition,.there.have.been.increasing.reports.of. 147.human.rights.defenders.and.23.journalists. go.unpunished.in.the.Philippines ..According.to. human.rights.violations.committed.against.indigenous. were.killed ..This.makes.the.Philippines.one.of.the. information.provided.by.the.Philippine.Government,. communities.and.particularly.against.the.Lumads.on. deadliest.countries.in.the.world.for.these.groups ..At. there.have.been.convictions.in.only.eight.instances.of. Mindanao.Island.in.the.south.of.the.Philippines ..The. particular.risk.are.land.rights.defenders.who.fight. extrajudicial.killings.and.twelve.cases.of.assassinated. indigenous.Lumads.are.especially.vulnerable.to.being. for.the.redistribution.of.agricultural.land.or.oppose. journalists.in.recent.years ..These.figures.stand.in.stark. caught.in.the.crossfire.of.the.domestic.conflict.between. mining.projects,.which.in.the.Philippines.often.entail. contrast.to.thousands.of.incidences.of.the.gravest. the.Philippine.government.and.the.communist. severe.environmental.pollution ..Because.many.such. human.rights.violations.such.as.torture,.enforced.