Philippines: Human rights organisations condemn renewed judicial harassment against human rights defenders

The undersigned organisations, including the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, express their solidarity with human rights defenders in the Philippines. We support their continuing  pursuit for the universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of human rights. We strongly condemn the renewed judicial harassment faced by ten HRDs who were acquitted of perjury on 9 January 2023.

August 22, 2023 – Previously, the defenders were facing trial before the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 37 on malicious and trumped-up charge of ‘perjury’—as submitted by former National Security Adviser (NSA) General Hermogenes Esperon—in reprisal for their actions seeking legal protection for human rights defenders to the Supreme Court in May 2019.

In recent developments, a petition to review the lower court’s decision which was in favour of the defenders was filed by the Quezon City Office of the Prosecutor, alongside General Hermogenes Esperon and NSA General Eduardo Ano. This renewed harassment campaign targets the same individuals including Karapatan National Council members: Elisa Tita Lubi; Cristina Palabay; Roneo Clamor; Gabriela Krista Dalena; Dr. Edita Burgos; Jose Mari Callueng; Fr. Wilfredo Ruazol; Gabriela leaders Joan May Salvador and Gertrudes Libang; and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines coordinator Sr. Elenita Belardo. Judge Aimee Marie B. Alcera, who presided over the case in lower court, is also included in the petition. The next hearing is scheduled for 29 August 2023.

The continuous weaponization of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to suppress and persecute HRDs is alarming. At least 13 defenders in the Southern Tagalog region currently face trumped-up criminal complaints, citing alleged violations under the ATA.

Using the ATA to criminalise human rights workers adds to the long list of harassment orchestrated by the Philippine Government to delegitimise the work of HRDs and human rights organisations.

Such aggressive crackdown on defenders not only violates their fundamental freedoms but also hinders their crucial work in protecting and promoting human rights for all.

Aside from judicial harassment, HRDs in the Philippines are also enduring red-tagging and other forms of harassment, further exacerbating the challenges they face in carrying out their vital work. Such violations against defenders are in stark contrast with the Philippine Government’s international human rights commitment being a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which it ratified in 1986, and most recently, its commitment in the Universal Periodic Review in 2022 related to effective protection of human rights defenders in the country.

Call to Action

We align ourselves with HRDs in the Philippines and call on the Philippine Government to cease all forms of intimidation and attacks against them.

We urge the authorities to ensure an enabling environment for all HRDs, allowing them to continue their essential work without fear of reprisals.

The judicial harassment against the ten HRDs must be dropped immediately. The laws and regulations that have been weaponized to vilify and harass defenders in the country must be repealed.