Latest news with #ICHRP
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
ICHRP On Trump-Marcos Meeting: Peace Must Be Based On Justice, Not Deterrence
July 19, 2025 The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) considers the Trump-Marcos Jr. meetings taking place from July 20 to 22 in Washington, DC as anything but a meeting of equals. The purpose of the visit as described by the Philippines is to discuss how the two countries can further deepen their security and economic engagements, including what Philippine Ambassador Romualdez has called 'peace through deterrence.' In reality the meeting represents the subservience of the GRP to the US, and the development of the 'peace through deterrence' strategy will only bring more war and destruction to the Filipino people. This meeting follows the growing trend of increasing militarization in the Philippines. The US and its allies have ramped up preparations for war against China, boosting mutual defence agreements, and conducted large-scale combat exercises in the Philippines, with increasing frequency. These recent moves include the February 2023 agreement to place four more US military bases in the Philippines – three of them oriented towards Taiwan – under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA). In April 2024, the US military began deploying in Northern Luzon a new offensive intermediate-range land-based missile system known as Typhoon, which is capable of reaching large population centres in mainland China. In June 2025 the US House appropriations committee announced the intention to establish a forward-based munitions factory and storage facility at Subic Bay, Philippines, and this July the US announced plans to build two new ship repair facilities near the disputed West Philippine seas. 'The US military build up in the Philippines is not defensive nor geared towards peace, but aggressive war preparations that put the Filipino people at risk to be collateral damage in a war with China. The Filipino people don't want to be a battlefield for a great power war,' said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy. 'ICHRP urges all nations in the region to deescalate the frightening military buildup towards war,' said Murphy. The Marcos-Trump meeting takes place following intensive attacks from Trump against poor and working Filipinos, both in the Philippines and in the US. On July 9, the White House announced a 20 per cent tariff taking effect on August 1st of this year, which disproportionately impacts peasants and workers in the Philippines. Within the United States, the Trump administration continues an all out attack on migrants including the detention, inhumane and illegal treatment of Filipino migrants. The imposition of tariffs, the maltreatment of Filipino migrants — unchallenged by Marcos Jr — and the increasing US military presence in the Philippines will further plunge the most marginalized in Philippines society into poverty. Due to the major socioeconomic issues of the Philippines, the country remains embroiled in a long-standing civil war. But the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and other Western allies ignore gross violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law occurring in the Philippines in favour of deepening military cooperation and arms sales to the Philippines as part of their broader preparation for war against China. Peace in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region will not come through the US 'deterrence' strategy. Genuine peace must be based on justice which necessitates the undoing of the unequal US-Philippines relationship most characterized by US economic coercion and military dominance of the country.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Trump 20% Tariff On Philippine Exports Hits Workers, Farmers Hardest
July 17, 2025 The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) condemns the July 9 unilateral 20 percent tariff imposed by the United States on imports from the Philippines as an act of economic coercion which will harm the poorest Filipinos the most. 'This unilateral punitive tariff is an act of coercion and humiliation against the Filipino people,' said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy. 'This naked bullying is the economic mirror image of the US action in turning the Philippines into a massive military base for war with China. There is zero respect for the basic right to self-determination of the Filipino people.' While the 20 percent tariff is part of a global Trump attack on almost all trading partners, the US military concentration on the Philippines is part of a tighter US Indo-Pacific Strategy, aimed at assembling all possible military allies alongside US forces for a major war with China in the near future. The tariffs are bargaining chips in Trump's punishment of any country which has a trade surplus with the US or has tariffs on imports from the US. Trump is clearly willing to bargain with his target countries to gain access to more minerals, and to remove or reduce tariffs on US products, as he has achieved with Indonesia. All Philippine elites since 1946, including the Marcos Jr. administration, have facilitated US demands for unfair economic treatment. Trump stands out for the brutality of his approach and the crude terms he wants to impose. No more talk of 'free trade' of 'development' or 'partnership', just 'I want a deal'. With an August 1 deadline looming, the Marcos Jr. administration could theoretically 'do a deal' to cut the tariff back to the minimum 10 per cent rate by making other concessions to Trump. But what would be the cost? Duterte's Rice Tariffication Act demonstrated the danger of removing protections for Philippine industries. Both Duterte and Marcos promised to reduce the price of rice to 20 pesos (US$0.35) per kilogram, but even with massive rice imports the price ranges from 33 to 60 pesos per kilo, depending on quality. The daily minimum wage in Metro Manila is now just 695 pesos (US$12.14), having increased by a paltry 50 pesos on July 1. Rice farmers have been hit hard, and the situation for the people buying rice has become far worse. Masses of Filipinos are hungry. In 2024, the US trade deficit with the Philippines was just $5.29 billion. This is a tiny blip for the US, whose Gross Domestic Product in 2024 was just over $29,000 billion. And since US corporations dominate the export processing zones from which much of the product is exported to the US, the US profits from either a trade deficit or a trade surplus. Trump's trade policy is driven by anti-democratic 18th century theories of empire trade, which are really obsolete because in today's empires investment and finance are supreme. The US already massively dominates in global investment and finance. Trump's policies hurt poor and working class people everywhere, smashing corporate supply chains and sharply increasing the cost of all goods imported into the US. His policies can be defeated. ICHRP stands with Filipino peasants and farmers, and the Filipino people at large whose already poor standard of living is under real threat, and whose long-disregarded political and economic autonomy are being openly derided by Trump. The answer is not more traditional 'free trade' deals with other Global North countries – which have already damaged the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and workers. The answer is international solidarity with farmers and workers everywhere, including in the US, in common struggles to elevate wages for workers and livelihoods for farmers, to stop the attacks on migrant workers in the US and Europe, to stop the attacks on Filipinos across the world, to enable balanced industrialization in all countries, and to shut down the Indo-Pacific military build-up to war with China.
Scoop
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Senate Waffle On Sara Duterte Impeachment Shows Deep Flaws In Philippine Democracy
June 15, 2025 'The Senate's return of impeachment articles of Vice President Sara Duterte to the Lower House is a blot on the democratic credentials of the Philippines,' said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). 'The Senate delayed the trial from February and while it will proceed for now, there is the threat that somehow the House of Representatives could cancel it, or that incoming senators in July will tip the balance,' he said. The grounds of impeachment – misuse of US$10.5 million in discretionary and intelligence funds, unexplained wealth, an alleged murder plot against the President and his family, and betrayal of public trust- are well-founded in fact. Leading institutions such as the Ateneo School of Government and the Makati Business Club have weighed in to the public debate, demanding that the trial go ahead. Public opinion surveys show 88 per cent support for the trial going ahead. 'ICHRP strongly supports the public rallies and cries of the people to press the Senate to do its constitutional duty. Clearly the political elite are failing to uphold the 1987 Constitution, and it is the people who have to make sure it is enforced and that the Vice-President is held accountable,' said Murphy. 'These rallies are democratic assemblies protected by the Constitution and must not be suppressed by the authorities.' The international community, led by US policy, is either ignoring the unfolding fiasco or looking on with bemusement, while at the same time supplying weapons, training and political cover to the Marcos Jr. administration. 'It is long overdue that the international community itself upheld democratic standards and international law in its relations with the Philippines,' said Murphy. 'The Philippines is a rogue state where the rule of law is totally optional, where the state systematically murders and represses citizens who oppose its anti-people and anti-environment policies. 'ICHRP sponsored the International Observer Mission to the May 12 Mid-Term Elections, which we found to be deeply flawed, not meeting the international standards for a free and fair election,' said Murphy. 'But the international community again turned a blind eye. 'We repeat our longstanding call for an end to all military aid to this regime, and for the Marcos Jr government to immediately return to the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, a forum where the deep social and political problems of the Philippines can be addressed,' Murphy concluded.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
NTF-ELCAC 'Victory' Claim Negated By Its Demands For More Extensive Repression
Eight days before the Mid-Term Elections, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) claimed that an 'insurgency-free Philippines' was in sight, and at the same time warned against any complacency allowing a 'resurgence of insurgency in electoral disguise'. It called for greater repression of civil society and young people in particular and endless war. 'NTF-ELCAC can't have it both ways, claiming victory and calling for greater repression,' said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). 'This organisation of military and police generals are shameless war mongers, demanding a bigger budget and more powers, plus less oversight. ICHRP fully supports the calls from United Nations Special Rapporteurs for NTF-ELCAC to be abolished, and we ourselves have called for this since it was established in December 2018,' said Murphy. The NTF-ELCAC called for: thorough vetting of foreign financial grants to Filipino development agencies, alleging that these fund the New People's Army rebellion. more intensive red-tagging of 'legal democratic forces' whom it accuses of 'ideological insurgency'. multi-year funding without oversight of its Barangay Development Program, used to pay local government units which declare themselves 'insurgency-free'. Since 2018 this fund has paid out P36 billion (US$720 million). forcing university administrations to crack down on student activism to channel 'critical thought and youthful idealism' to support government strategies. Government support for a national federation of rebel surrenderees (former rebels). More intensive local community control through permanent local peace councils, barangay task forces and grassroots monitoring systems to repress any critical discussions and organizing. In the Mid-Term Elections, the progressive party-lists and the Makabayan Senate candidates won 5 percent or more of the votes, despite the intense denunciation as 'communist terrorists' which they endured from NTF-ELCAC. The 3.5 to 4.5 million Filipinos who voted for these candidates are the target of the NTF-ELCAC under the criterion of 'legal democratic forces'. Looked at this way, the NTF-ELCAC is the greatest threat to democratic rights in the Philippines. Its claim that former rebels are its greatest asset in the fight against insurgency is undermined by extensive data that unarmed peasant farmers and indigenous people are routinely ordered to 'surrender', then paid a small compensation, and then continually pressed to denounce other members of their communities. Of course, the Barangay Development Program and funds for surrenderees are a great slush fund for military and police commanders. Meanwhile, the rhetoric of the NTF-ELCAC empowers the AFP to further cause terror in rural communities, including employing tactics of hameletting – surrounding communities with military presence – and aerial strafing and bombing. Development workers who server rural communities face ongoing attacks under false pretenses of 'financing terrorism.' The grand boast that the communist insurgency is almost over, and that 89 guerilla fronts have been dismantled since 2018, is not borne out on the ground.1 Fighting is reported in many provinces, and the social conditions that give rise to the armed conflict – especially poverty and landlessness – remain unchanged. 'ICHRP amplifies the long-standing demands of Filipino people for genuine land reform, an end to stultifying poverty and genuine respect for democratic rights. If there is to be peace, then NTF-ELCAC should be abolished and the government of the Philippines return to the peace talks agenda still outstanding with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,' said Murphy. 'Top of the agenda right now is a draft Comprehensive Agreement on Economic and Social Reforms, which already includes free distribution of land to the landless.'
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Rights Group Sounds Alarm: Marcos, Candidates Manufacturing Consent For US Soft Invasion Of PH
Balikatan exercises escalate proxy war during midterm elections April 28, 2025 While Filipinos prepare to head to the polls for the 2025 midterm elections, the Philippine government has allowed 16,000 US, Japanese, and Australian troops to hold the largest-ever Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) military exercises. The US-led exercises, in which armed forces from 19 countries are involved, are a blatant show of force by the United States in Philippine territory. ICHRP is gravely concerned over the threat this year's Balikatan exercises pose to the freedom and sovereignty of the 2025 elections. Yet the Marcos administration remains focused on China as the main threat to election interference. On April 25, 2025, the Marcos coalition, Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, accused China of meddling in the elections. Sen. Francis Tolentino presented a 930,000 php check allegedly linking the Chinese Embassy to a local marketing firm to operate 'keyboard warriors.' In an interview with ANC, National Security Council Assistant Director General Malaya suggested that social media influencers and electoral candidates criticizing the Balikatan exercises are acting as local proxies of China. Malaya stated, 'you will see narratives coming from Beijing that the Balikatan exercises are a threat to regional peace and stability, and you will also see that coming from local proxies.' While decrying supposed Chinese online influence, they turn a blind eye to thousands of heavily armed US troops on Philippine soil during election season. In fact, by fear-mongering and promoting a 'national security emergency,' the Marcos administration seeks to stampede voters into supporting their chosen candidates who will further facilitate and justify the US pivot to Asia and military build up against China. This is political manipulation at gunpoint: democracy under siege. Filipinos now face an election under the shadow of foreign soldiers, live-fire drills, and a full scale battle simulation as part of escalating US war preparations against China. The exercises heighten fear of external threats (China) to justify their presence and skew voters' perception towards pro-US candidates like Marcos's Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate. Meanwhile, US anti-ship missiles (NMESIS) are deployed in Batanes, directly pointing toward Taiwan. Balikatan joint exercises involve island seizure operations, cyber warfare training, and maritime blockade rehearsals — not humanitarian defense, but full-spectrum war scenarios. In Quezon, US soldiers have even been seen in civilian communities conducting 'civil-military operations,' blurring the line between military and civilian spaces. While the Marcos administration is presenting Balikatan as 'defensive' and 'for Philippine security,' communities in Northern Luzon, Palawan, and Mindanao are impacted by further militarization as US EDCA military bases operate. Fisherfolk are banned from their own fishing grounds while US warships dominate the seas. ICHRP Chairperson, Peter Murphy, stated, 'The government and military have unleashed an aggressive, full-spectrum PR blitz to push anti-China narratives – saturating media, social media, and public discourse until these claims are treated as 'facts' beyond question. Through relentless repetition, they are manufacturing consent for heightened militarization and foreign intervention, drowning out any critical voices or calls for an independent, truly Filipino foreign policy. As an alternative, ICHRP calls for complete demilitarization of the South China Sea and diplomatic resolution of territorial claims.' 'Elections must be free from fear, free from foreign soldiers, and free from proxy war manipulations' continued Murphy. ICHRP demands an immediate halt to Balikatan and all foreign military exercises this election and beyond. We support the call of Filipinos for a truly independent Philippine foreign policy, not one dictated by Washington or any other foreign power.
