MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the recent human rights developments in the Philippines

15.2.2022 - (2022/2540(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure

Svenja Hahn, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Dita Charanzová, Olivier Chastel, Andreas Glück, Klemen Grošelj, Bernard Guetta, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Dragoş Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Ramona Strugariu, Dragoş Tudorache, Hilde Vautmans
on behalf of the Renew Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0097/2022

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B9‑01111/2022

European Parliament resolution on  the recent human rights developments in the Philippines

(2022/2540(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the Philippines, in particular those of 15 September 2016, of 16 March 2017, 19 April 2018 and of 17 September 2020,

–  having regard to the EU guidelines on human rights,

–  having regard to the Resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 11 July 2019 on the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines,

–  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

–  having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966,

–  having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,

–  having regard to the Philippines Republic Act. no.11479 of 3 July 2020, also known as the Anti-Terrorism Act,

–  having regard to the report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet on 7 October 2021 during the 48th session of the Human Rights Council

–  having regard to Rule 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

1. whereas the Philippine government, under President Duterte, has used the Covid-19 pandemic to launch new attacks on human rights in the Philippines. Whereas in the midst of the pandemic, the government introduced a campaign of raids, arrests and killings of activists and human rights defenders who have been “red-tagged”, or in other words, accused of links to ‘”communist” and “terrorist” groups;

 

2. whereas red-tagging has become a more serious issue since Duterte became a president in 2016 and created a the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), making red-tagging his government’s official policy;

 

3. whereas the new anti-terrorism law adopted in 2020 has institutionalised the so-called “red-tagging”. Red-tagging has been used for decades in Philippines in the government’s campaign against communist New People’s Army (NPA) and it includes publicly accusing activists, journalists, politicians, and others and their organizations of supporting the NPA.

 

4. whereas the human rights situation in the Philippines has even further worsened during the pandemic, as the government imposed strict lockdown measures that resulted in the arrest and incarceration of tens of thousands of Filipinos, in conditions that greatly increased their health risk. Whereas in the early days of the lockdown, curfew violators were subjected to abusive treatment by the police;

 

5. whereas in 2020 President Duterte warned he would order the country’s police and military to shoot dead anyone “who creates trouble” during a month-long lockdown of the island of Luzon enforced to halt the spread of the coronavirus;

 

6. whereas human rights groups believe that government has been planting evidence to justify the arrest of critics of the government, followed by arbitrary arrests and allegations of participation in terrorist activities;

 

7. whereas the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, in her latest report on the Philippines on 7 October 2021 stressed that there are continuing and severe human rights violations and abuses across the country and basic human rights standards are ignored;

 

8. whereas the Philippine government’s so called “drug war” killings has intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic, as did unnecessary arrests during lockdowns; whereas attacks by the police and military on leftist activists, community and Indigenous leaders, human rights defenders, and journalists also increased;

 

9. whereas the Philippine military has long been responsible for large numbers of extrajudicial killings and torture of alleged communists;

 

10. whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorised an official investigation  into alleged crimes against humanity in President Duterte’s “war on drugs”, dealing a moral victory to human rights defenders and families of victims killed, including innocent children. Whereas the ICC’s pre-trial chamber stated that while it recognises the Philippines’ duty to fight drug smuggling and addiction, the ‘war on drugs’ campaign cannot be seen as a legitimate law enforcement operation;

 

11. whereas Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, is running for president in the upcoming national elections in May 2022 together with Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (the son of the late Dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.) with the explicit aim to continue the policies of President Duterte and to shut down any investigation by the ICC;

 

12. Whereas the Philippines is a GSP+ beneficiary country; whereas this means that the Philippines must adhere to the effective implementation of the 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and good governance;

 

 

1. Expresses its deepest concern at the rapidly worsening human rights situation in the Philippines under President Duterte and calls for significant improvements of the human rights situation in the Philippines;

 

2. Call for the immediate release of all prisoners who have been arrested or convicted on politically motivated charges;

 

3. Condemns president Duterte’s actions during covid-19 pandemic and the attempt to use the pandemic as an excuse to launch new attacks on human rights; condemns the government introduced campaigns of raids, arrests and killings of “red-tagged” activists and human rights defenders;

 

4. Is alarmed by the rights situation in the Philippines during the pandemic, and the government imposed strict lockdown measures that resulted in the arrest and incarceration of tens of thousands of Filipinos, in conditions that greatly increased their health risk; condemns the abusive treatment of subjected curfew violators by the police;

 

5. Strongly condemns the extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights violations related to the so-called ‘war on drugs’; calls on the government of the Philippines to put an immediate end to all violence targeting suspected drug offenders;

 

6. Condemns all forms of violence against activists and human rights defenders and urges Philippine authorities to respect human rights

 

7. Condemns all threats, harassment, intimidation and violence, including sexual violence such as rape, against those who seek to expose allegations of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations in the country, including human rights and environmental activists, trade unionists and journalists; denounces the misuse of the law and judiciary systems as a means of silencing critical voices; denounces the government officials’ practice of “red-tagging” activists, journalists, and critics, exposing them to potential harm

 

8. Calls for an international election observation mission, by the European Parliament, to guarantee that the principles for free, transparent and fair elections are respected in the Philippines presidential elections of May 2022 and the election campaign;

 

9. Recalls that measures adopted by governments in response to the pandemic should protect and not undermine the human rights of citizens; stresses that these measures should be necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory, should comply with international human rights obligations and national laws, and should be kept in place only as long as they are strictly required, and not be used as a pretext to limit democratic and civic space, fundamental freedoms, and the respect of the rule of law

 

10. Deeply regrets the decision of the Government of the Philippines to withdraw from the Rome Statute; calls on the Government to reverse this decision; encourages the ICC to continue its inquiry into the allegations of crimes against humanity in the context of the killings during the ‘war on drugs’; calls on the Government of the Philippines to cooperate fully with the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC in its investigation into the situation in the Philippines;

 

11. Calls on the European Commission to set clear, public, time bound benchmarks for the Philippines to comply with its human rights obligations under the GSP+ scheme and, in the absence of any substantial improvement and willingness to cooperate on the part of the Philippine authorities, to immediately initiate the procedure which could lead to the temporary withdrawal of GSP+ preferences;

 

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments of the Member States, the President, the Government and Congress of the Philippines, the governments of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).