Stop the attacks against human rights defenders and development workers in the Philippines!
Dear friends,
We would like to seek your support to demand from the Duterte government to stop its terrorist-tagging of and smear campaigns against various progressive organizations engaged in advancing human rights and development work to dissuade international actors from providing support and resources to their advocacies and to subject them to further attacks and reprisals.
We are particularly alarmed over the malicious and baseless accusations coming from the Office of the President through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) that progressive organizations such as Gabriela, Karapatan, Ibon Foundation, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines), Alliance of Health Workers, National Union of People’s Lawyers, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Lumad schools like the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development, Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur, and Salugpongan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center, among others, are obtaining funds from the European Union and the Belgian government through various non-government organizations (NGOs) for purported terrorist activities. These organizations have unequivocally denied and denounced these allegations and some have filed court petitions seeking legal protection and for a halt to the Philippine government’s vilification campaign against them.
We are also concerned about the government’s waste of taxpayers’ money in sending out a contingent of military officials and members of the Presidential Communications Operations Office for an extensive tour around Europe in a desperate move to malign said organizations to discourage European governments and institutions from supporting them.
Contrary to the government’s accusations, these organizations have long been involved with socio-economic and human rights advocacies. They are known for their record of service and staunch defense of people’s rights among the diverse social movements within the country and globally for resolutely carrying out the rights-based approach in their programs, by strengthening the capacity of the people to claim their rights and demand accountability from their government.
We believe that these organizations are being targeted by the Duterte government because of their unrelenting campaigns to expose the human rights violations under the present climate of impunity. They are also among those that are actively calling on the United Nations and the International Criminal Court to conduct investigations over gross human rights violations committed by state forces under the government’s brutal war on drugs and anti-insurgency campaign that have led to thousands of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.
We cannot stress enough that civil society in the Philippines is under attack and the attempts to restrict foreign funding of progressive organizations is but a part of a pattern of attacks employed by the government to constrict democratic space and silence political dissent.
The government has surreptitiously issued last year a memorandum that aims to expand its regulation and surveillance of non-government organizations to the point of infringing on the people’s right to freedom of association and expression. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Memorandum 15 purportedly serves as guidelines for the protection of SEC-registered non-profit organizations from money laundering and terrorist financing abuse, but all indications on its provisions point to a dangerous pattern of government’s arbitrary classification and crackdown of NGOs.
The heightened surveillance means that NGOs are less free to implement programs and conduct advocacies, and are more open to interference and even reprisal. Under the pretext of security from terrorism, the memorandum encroaches on the right to privacy of officers, members, clients or beneficiaries of organizations. It is, therefore, an extension of the mounting repressive policies insidiously implemented by the Duterte government in installments, so as not to betray its real intent of curbing all platforms for dissent.
We urge you to release statements of support for these organizations and call on the Duterte government to stop such attacks and vilification campaigns that reek of false, baseless, and malicious allegations against staunch advocates of human rights.
We are calling for your support in calling on the international community to closely monitor the situation in the Philippines, and use their interactions with the Duterte government, including in the area of trade and business, to emphasize the importance of reversing restrictive policies and building an enabling environment for the respect and protection of human rights.
We also want to appeal to you to urge the UN Human Rights Council to advance accountability for human rights violations in the country by adopting a resolution calling for a halt to the attacks on human rights defenders, independent media, and democratic institutions, and by initiating and conducting an independent international investigation into all extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in the Philippines.
Recommended actions:
You may write letters calling on the Philippine government to:
- Rescind SEC Memo 15 as it further constricts the shrinking democratic and civic space in the country.
- Prioritize the enactment and full implementation of a Human Rights Defenders Protection Billthat will give legal recognition and safeguard rights defenders in the conduct of their work, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Human Rights Defenders.
- Recall Executive Order No. 70, creating a national task force (NTF) to end local communist armed conflict and institutionalizing the so-called whole of nation approach and stop all activities emanating from this order, including the vilification and smear campaigns against human rights defenders, their organizations and communities.
- Withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Kapayapaan, which victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians, and members of progressive organizations.
- Adhere to and respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and all major Human Rights instruments that it is a party and signatory.
We urgently appeal for your support and solidarity through:
- Issuing statements of solidarity for circulation to the public and media circles. Publish these on your websites, social media platforms among others.
- Writing letters to the European Commission, European Union Parliament, the Belgian Government, and other relevant stakeholders to not be dissuaded by these unsubstantiated, baseless, and malicious allegations and to not be a party to the vilification and attacks against human rights defenders who are staunch advocates of human rights.
- Reporting malicious posts vilifying our organizations on social media and flagging said posts, users, and pages as false news or hate speech.
- Conducting or joining mass actions and campaigns to support rights defenders under attack.
- Informing and lobbying with officials of government in other countries and with inter-governmental bodies.
You may send your communications to the following Philippine-based authorities:
Mr. Rodrigo Duterte
President of the Republic
Malacañang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel,
Manila, Philippines 1005
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: op@president.gov.ph or send a message through http://op-proper.gov.ph/contact-us/
Mr. Carlito G. Galvez Jr.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
7/F Agustin I Building, F. Ortigas Jr. Road,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Telephone:+63 (2) 637-6083
Trunkline: +63 (2) 636-0701 to 07, local 823 or 824
Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216
Email: peace.opapp@gmail.com
Ret. Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana
Secretary, Department of National Defense
DND Building, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo,
Segundo Avenue, Quezon City 1110
Trunkline:+63 (2) 982-5600
Email: publicaffairs.dnd@gmail.com or through http://www.dnd.gov.ph/contact-us.html
Mr. Menardo Guevarra
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila
Direct Line: 521-1908; 526-5462
Trunkline: 523-84-81 loc. 211/214
Telefax: (+632) 523-9548
Email: osecmig@gmail.com, osec@doj.gov.ph, communications@doj.gov.ph
Mr. Jose Luis Martin Gascon
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex, Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188, 920-9510
Telefax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: chairgascon.chr@gmail.com
Mr. Emilio Aquino
Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission
Philippine International Convention Center
Secretariat Building, PICC Complex, Roxas Blvd
Voice: (02) 818 5343, 818 5767
Telefax: 8185498
Email: ebaquino@sec.gov.ph
You may send your communications to the following authorities based in Europe or their missions based in Manila:
Franz Jessen
Ambassador
European Union Delegation to the Philippines
30/F Tower 2, RCBC Plaza,6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, 1200 Philippines
Telephone: + 63 2 859.5100
Fax: + 63 2 859.5109
Email: Delegation-Philippines@eeas.europa.eu
Michel Goffin
Ambassador
Embassy of Belgium in the Philippines
Multinational Bancorporation Center 9th floor
6805 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, 1226 Philippines
Makati Central Post Office Box: Box 2165 – 1201M
Tel: +63 2 845 18 69 to 73
Fax: +63 2 845 20 76
Email:Manila@diplobel.fed.be
European Commission
Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA)
European Commission
W910
B-1049 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 299 5252
Sub Committee on Human Rights
European Union Parliament
Bât. Altiero Spinelli
60 rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32(0)2 28 42111
Fax: +32(0)2 28 46974
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Rue des Petits Carmes 27
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32 2 501 81 11