Today, on the 76th International Human Rights Day, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) joins the Filipino people in calling for accountability from the Marcos and Duterte families for their continued human rights abuses. Since the Marcos-Duterte tandem assumed power, they have perpetuated the impunity of their parents and previous administrations, leading to even more widespread human rights violations in the country.
The relentless attacks on the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera are rooted in systemic issues, including economic crisis, injustice, and government policies that prioritize corporate interests over the welfare of indigenous peoples. These abuses are exacerbated by the criminalization of indigenous peoples’ actions to defend their ancestral lands. Despite the indigenous peoples’ efforts to assert their rights, they continue to face attacks from the state.
Red-tagging, harassment, intimidation, and forced surrender by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) against progressives, leaders of mass organizations, and ordinary citizens in urban and rural communities of the region continue unabated.
Currently, there are 14 political prisoners in the Cordillera. Most of them are sick and need intensive and regular medical attention. They have been imprisoned on trumped-up charges.
Dexter Capuyan and Bazoo De Jesus, two student leaders in the Cordillera, remain missing after their enforced disappearance by state agents on April 28, 2023.
The state continues to use the law against the people. Since 2022, various types of trumped-up charges have been filed by the PNP, AFP, CIDG, and other government agencies against progressive individuals and ordinary citizens. More than a year ago, four leaders of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance – Windel Bolinget, Jennifer Awingan Taggaoa, Sarah Abellon Alikes, and Stephen Tauli – were arbitrarily tagged as terrorists, an unfounded and baseless accusation.
There is also an increasing number of trumped-up terrorist financing cases with the use of the Terrorist Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 (TFPSA), such as the case of Marcylyn Pilala, a mother and mere store owner. Pet Guzman, Myrna Zapanta, and Lenville Salvador—development workers—and more recently, James Capuyan and Sarah Abellon Alikes were also charged with trumped-up terrorist financing cases. All these terrorism-related cases are clearly fabricated and baseless.
The state also continues to violate International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Since 2022, we have recorded four incidents of aerial bombing by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Abra on February 25 and 27, April 2, and in Kalinga on March 4 and 9, 2023, and June 7, 2024. More than 120 families were forced to evacuate due to ongoing military operations. The bombings also resulted in the disruption of the daily living of residents, damage to crops, and disturbance of land in some parts of the affected communities. The continuous military operations have also caused severe trauma to children and the elderly.
There is still no justice for the killing of Antonio Diwayan, a farmer and senior citizen in Lacub, Abra, by the 77th Infantry Battalion. He was brutally murdered in October 2023 and was falsely presented as a casualty from an encounter between the AFP and the New People’s Army (NPA). These attacks on civilian communities are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and must be condemned.
It is clear that the past and present administrations do not value our human rights and are only pursuing their self-interest. Thus, in the upcoming May 2025 elections, let us choose those who truly serve the people, those who are truly patriotic and have respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples and the entire Filipino people!
Let us also continue to push local governments to pass laws and ordinances for the protection of our human rights. Just recently, on December 9, the Human Rights Defenders Ordinance in Baguio City was passed on third reading, an ordinance that progressive organizations in Baguio City have been campaigning for years.
CHRA also lauds various organizations for courageously leading activities in commemoration of International Human Rights Day and for their unwavering efforts in the protection and advancement of human rights in the region.
The human rights violations committed by the Marcos and Duterte families are countless. They must be held accountable for their crimes against the Filipino people. Amidst the political squabbles of the Marcos and Duterte families, let us continue to demand justice and accountability for all victims of human rights violations!