Latest news with #InternationalCoalitionforHumanRightsinthePhilippines
GMA Network
20-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Rights groups slam US ‘deterrence' policy as Marcos flies to meet Trump
A human rights coalition on Sunday denounced the upcoming bilateral talks between President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and US President Donald Trump, saying it represents the Philippines' 'subservience' to Washington and supports the 'peace through deterrence" strategy. The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) made the remarks as it called for an end to the 'increasing' US militarization in the country, warning it may 'bring more war and destruction to the Filipino people' and may 'further plunge the most marginalized in Philippines society into poverty'. '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,' he added. Marcos departed for Washington. D.C. on Sunday an official visit which includes a meeting with Trump. He said his visit aims to push for 'greater economic engagement' and to reaffirm the Philippine's 'commitment to fostering our long-standing alliances as an instrument of peace and a catalyst of development in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.' The President's aircraft left Manila at 10:20 a.m. Among the topics Marcos and Trump will discuss is the steep 20% tariff on Filipino goods entering the US, as Manila hopes to strike a mutually acceptable and beneficial tariff deal with the US. '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,' the ICHRP said. '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,' it added. Imee Marcos Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos urged her brother to 'exercise caution and protect Philippine national interests' in the trade talks with Trump. 'Trade must be a partnership, not a surrender. If we give away our rights today, we sell out the future of every Filipino,' the legislator said. Early this month, the US government issued tariff notices to several trading partners including the Philippines, which he slapped with a 20% duty, higher than what he previously announced reciprocal tariff rate of 17% in April. 'As a sovereign country, the tariff agreement with the US should also be reciprocal. The US does not seem to regard us as a sovereign state, nor can we see the value of any so-called treaty allies any longer,' said Marcos. 'No president should sign away our sovereignty—not for gold, not for promises, not for alliances,' she said. Data from the US Trade Representative showed that the US goods trade deficit with the Philippines stood at $4.9 billion in 2024, up 21.8% from 2023. US total goods trade with the Philippines amounted to about $23.5 billion in 2024, with American goods exports to the Philippines amounting to $9.3 billion, up 0.4%, while goods imports totaled $14.2 billion. The US is the Philippines' top destination for its goods in 2024 at $58.7 billion, accounting for a lion's share, or 80.2%, of the top 10 nations where it exports, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Scoop
20-07-2025
- 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
18-07-2025
- 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.
Herald Malaysia
04-07-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Planting for justice in a time of ‘unpeace' in the Philippines
The seeds were sown in Rome, and what grows will depend on how they are watered through solidarity, prayer, action and faith Jul 04, 2025 More than 70 representatives from various faiths and human rights groups from 13 countries attended a conference titled 'Sowing Seeds of Faith Solidarity for the Filipino People's Struggle for Peace' in Rome, on June 27-28. (Photo: Every Jubilee is a summons — an interruption of injustice and an invitation to begin again. In Rome, on the cusp of the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, a gathering called Pagtatanim — the Filipino word for 'planting — became such a moment. It was a spiritual milestone in a long, often unseen journey. That road began more than four decades ago in Stony Point, New York, when Filipino and international faith leaders first gathered to oppose the Marcos dictatorship and stand with the poor. In Rome, those same seeds of solidarity were replanted, now watered by the cries of today's oppressed, the testimony of the disappeared, and the prophetic insistence that peace cannot come without justice. On June 27–28, more than70 faith leaders, human rights defenders, and international solidarity partners from 13 countries gathered for Pagtatanim: Sowing Seeds of Faith and Solidarity for the Filipino People's Struggle for Peace. The gathering brought together Catholic clergy, Protestant ministers, Indigenous advocates, lay leaders, and grassroots organizers in a deeply spiritual and political encounter. The conference's title captured the spirit of the moment: sowing courage, memory, and commitment into what many participants called a season of 'unpeace.' Rooted in Leviticus 25, the Year of Jubilee, participants reflected on God's call to free captives, forgive debts, return ancestral lands, and restore the earth. As one delegate said, "Jubilee is not just a metaphor: it's a command. It remains as urgent today as ever." But how do you proclaim a Jubilee in a country where the sins of the past have not only gone unconfessed but returned to power? The Marcos family, ousted by the People Power Revolution in 1986, is back in Malacañang, propped up by a machinery of disinformation and impunity. Their return was paved by Rodrigo Duterte, whose drug war left thousands dead and who is now under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court. His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, is herself facing impeachment scrutiny for corruption. Yet even as Duterte faces justice in The Hague, his legacy continues at home: a militarized bureaucracy, criminalized dissent, and politics driven more by dynastic feuds than democratic renewal. In this landscape, Jubilee is not just a symbol. It is a moral counterclaim, a cry from the margins for a new beginning grounded not in nostalgia, but in truth. 'Justice is not optional in our faith traditions; it is integral,' said Beth Dollaga, secretary general of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Canada. 'Pagtatanim reminded me that planting seeds of justice is an act of hope, but it is also an act of defiance.' Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, the vice president of Caritas Philippines, opened the gathering with a deeply personal keynote address. He recalled growing up in Sipalay, Negros Occidental where mining explosions shook the ground and corporate greed left communities dispossessed. 'To remain neutral in the face of injustice is to side with the oppressor,' he declared. 'The Gospel calls us to uproot the weeds of militarism, lies, and fear — not with hate, but with active, daring love.' Bishop Alminaza linked the biblical Jubilee with the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. In his words, the work ahead is to 'plant seeds of justice, even in hostile soil.' He called on churches to accompany the disappeared, shelter the threatened, and demand peace talks, not surrender. His words resonated through the halls of the conference and were echoed in testimonies of resistance and grief. Throughout Pagtatanim, participants described the Philippine reality as one of systemic 'unpeace,' a term invoked to name the normalization of repression and violence. Charmane Maranan, from Karapatan, described unpeace as repression made legal, where resistance is criminalized, codified in the Anti-Terrorism Law, and dressed in the language of peace and development. Testimonies detailed the war on drugs under Duterte, continuing red-tagging and harassment under Marcos Jr., and the silencing of Indigenous, environmental, and faith-based defenders. This is not peace but pacification in the service of profit and foreign power. A just and lasting peace is not about silencing the guns; it is about addressing the longstanding socioeconomic roots of the armed conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Charlie Ocampo, a longtime ecumenical and human rights advocate, traced the seeds of Pagtatanim back to the International Conference on Human Rights in the Philippines held in Stony Point, New York, in 1981. That pivotal gathering brought together solidarity groups and church organizations from North America, Japan, Europe, and other parts of the world to challenge US support for the Marcos dictatorship. It called Christians to a faith that does justice. Four decades later, that call resounded in Rome. 'Pagtatanim encouraged me to continue responding to human rights as a faith commitment,' Ocampo said. 'Jubilee is both a reminder and a challenge for us to uphold Indigenous rights, care for creation, and walk with the oppressed, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly — a timeless call to action.' What began at Stony Point and continued in Rome was not simply a meeting, but part of a faith journey, one unfolding today under a restored dynasty, elite rivalries, systemic corruption, and a democracy increasingly silenced. It is telling that voices so often silenced in the Philippines and the US could speak with clarity and courage in Rome, where distance gave space for truth and solidarity offered a sanctuary. Reverend Patricia Lisson, vice-chairperson of ICHRP Global, was moved by the convergence of spiritual and political convictions she witnessed, particularly among youth and Indigenous leaders. 'Leviticus 25 reminded me that justice begins with restoration,' she said. 'It's a divine interruption of exploitation. Jubilee isn't ideology — it's covenant.' She committed to creating bilingual educational tools on faith-rooted resistance and to advocating for Canadian accountability in arms exports and corporate complicity. Speakers did not shy away from naming complicity. Several participants denounced the roles of the US, Canada, and Australia in funding militarization and enabling impunity. Coni Ledesma, of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiating panel, detailed the systematic breakdown of peace negotiations and the targeting of peace consultants. She said that the Philippine government 'has used every occasion to stop, suspend, or terminate dialogue. The obstacles are not accidental. They are deliberate.' Advocates from Catalonia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the US shared their own solidarity efforts, affirming that support for the Filipino people's struggle is both historical and ongoing. 'We are also people of faith supporting an existing people's movement,' said one participant, 'a movement that has continued to persist and persevere in the face of roadblocks to peace.' The gathering ended with a call to faith that moves, resists, and restores. Participants vowed to plant justice where violence has taken root: to root theological reflections in the lived struggle of the marginalized, to speak against US military aid that underwrites repression, and to walk with the threatened, the defenders of land, truth, and life. They pledged to demand the release of political prisoners, to stand with the disappeared and displaced, and to push back against the machinery of red-tagging and fear. Their call also includes continuing support for victims of the drug war and the movement for justice and accountability. 'Hope,' Bishop Alminaza reminded the gathering, 'is not a feeling. It is a discipline. A seed we plant. A path we walk.' In Rome, those seeds were planted. What grows from that ecumenical gathering will depend on how they are watered: through solidarity, prayer, action, and with a faith that refuses to give
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
World Is Watching: Int'l Observers To Monitor PH Mid-term Polls Amid Escalating Election Violence
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has officially launched its International Observer Mission (IOM) for the 2025 midterm elections, vowing to monitor the polls amid rising concerns over electoral violence. 'The Philippines has long been a hotspot for election-related violence, particularly in rural areas,' said ICHRP Vice-Chairperson Patricia Lisson in the online press conference. 'As a global human rights coalition, we are once again deploying the IOM to support Filipinos in protecting their civil and political rights, including the right to free and honest elections. The eyes of the world are on the Philippines.' This is the second IOM mounted by ICHRP after deploying more than 60 observers in the heated 2022 presidential elections. The previous mission was able to document election-related human rights violations, including vote buying, failure of the vote-counting system, misinformation, red-tagging and threats, and killings. 'The 2022 election did not meet the standard of 'free, honest and fair' because prevailing conditions robbed the voters of access to reliable information, access to the voting places without intimidation, and access to credible vote counting system,' says former Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon and now serving her second time as IOM commissioner. This 2025, the IOM is led by a group of Commissioners with long-standing records in monitoring elections, democratic governance, humanitarian work, and peace-building. Aside from Lee, the IOM Commission includes General Secretary Rev. Michael Blair of the United Church of Canada, Sylvain Goldstein, Asia Director for General Confederation of Labor–CGT (France), and Colleen Moore, the director of Peace With Justice at the General Board of Church and Society (USA). Additionally, Xavier Cutillas, who is the President of the Catalan Association for Peace–ACP. The mission responds to the call for impartial, international scrutiny of the Philippine electoral process, amid persistent reports of state-sponsored harassment, and election-related killings, and fraud. The IOM will be looking closely at the disenfranchised Filipino communities, particularly in rural areas where it's highly militarized with state and private armed groups. 'Now, we are seeing an intensification of violence on the ground as reported by our local partners. We are determined to carry out this mission and document these cases,' says Commissioner Colleen Moore. "The situation remains that political elites operate their own bailiwicks, private armies, and patronage networks, which fuel the highest levels of violence in the archipelago's rural areas," says Prof. Danilo Arao, convenor of election watchdog Kontra Daya and official partner of IOM 2025. The country's Elections Commission, Comelec, recorded 46 incidents of political violence between January 12 and April 11. However, according to the monitoring of IOM local partner Vote Report PH, 'red-tagging is still the highest among violation categories, amounting to 78.72% of our 733 reports as of April 11. Since the official start of the campaign period in the local government, election-related violence rose in numbers,' says Vote Report PH data analyst Ian Aragoza. 'Red-tagging in the Philippines poses a grave threat to democracy, and we're seeing its intensification during election season,' warned Prof. Danilo Arao, convenor of election watchdog Kontra Daya. 'Activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens are being harassed, attacked, and in many cases, killed, often by state forces such as the military and police.' Arao said, adding that Kontra Daya will continue working with the IOM 2025 to document election-related violations and political repression on the ground. A UN human rights expert has recently sounded the alarm on red-tagging, as it frequently leads to threats, unlawful surveillance, and even unlawful killings. This practice not only intimidates individuals but also stifles freedom of expression, undermining legitimate activism, journalism, debate, and criticism, all of which are essential components of a democratic society. In its methodology, the mission will monitor election-related violations in the Philippines, including political violence, red-tagging, vote-buying, electoral fraud, and disinformation campaigns on both mainstream and digital platforms. It will also closely track violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights, particularly in militarized areas and communities of rural and indigenous peoples. 'These elections are unfolding under the shadow of deepening repression and the entrenchment of political dynasties,' said ICHRP Vice-Chairperson Patricia Lisson. 'We are here in solidarity with the Filipino people, and we are committed to documenting the truth on the ground.' From February to May, the mission will cover the official campaign period, election day on May 12, and the critical post-election phase. International delegates will be stationed across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, especially in areas known for electoral violence. Teams will document violations through interviews with voters, poll watchers, and local groups, while remote observers will monitor overseas absentee voting and digital election manipulation. According to the IOM commission, initial findings will be released shortly after election day, while the final, comprehensive report will be shared with the country's commission on election, relevant United Nations bodies, international human rights groups, foreign embassies, and media partners.
