‘Civic space continues to shrink 3 years into Marcos Jr administration’
Three years into the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the human rights situation in the Philippines is still bad.
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Three years into the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the human rights situation in the Philippines is still bad.
"We must not allow impunity to trump accountability."
"If the ‘iron-clad’ alliance comes with selling out the [Philippine] economy in exchange for ‘military aid’, then that’s not really an ‘alliance’ and that’s not really ‘aid’. That’s neocolonialism.”
In a statement, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said that the bill is “thoroughly self-serving and is a slap in the face of the tens of thousands of victims of Duterte's drug war as well as those who suffered other injustices committed under his regime.”
In the ruling, the World Court said that the climate change treaties set forth binding obligations for State parties to ensure environmental protection. Among these treaties are the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. In the Philippines, all these legally-binding treaties are ratified, therefore, the government is responsible for failure to uphold the much needed environmental protection.
SONA ng paniningil is this year's theme of people’s state of the nation (People’s SONA) as Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is midway in his term as president. For progressive groups, the three years of his administration has not made a significant difference to the lives of the Filipino people.
Fishing families consistently rank among the poorest in the Philippines. Where meat is not accessible, gleaned shellfish and variable catches under “Others” offer a vital bridge: diverse, accessible, and nutritionally relevant, as shown in data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
As protests erupt against the construction of the separation wall, Burnat documents not just the political resistance but the emotional and personal toll it takes on his family and community. Burnat captured how resistance becomes a way of life. His brothers are arrested one by one. Children, if not killed, are unjustly detained. Protesters on the frontlines like Aldeeb suffer injuries but remain unyielding. The film showcases how villagers respond to land theft not with retreat, but with creative acts of defiance, like laying concrete structures to block the military. Even as violence escalates, the people of Bil'in adapt, protest, and persist.
“To silence a journalist is to deny the people their right to truth. We will not allow fear to win.”
Joanna Concepcion, chairperson of Migrante International, said that the Filipino trafficking victims in Cambodia were able to come home because of the persistent efforts and constant follow-ups of their families with various government agencies. Concepcion criticized the government’s process of providing assistance to the victims and how it delayed their return to the Philippines.
“Kapatid expresses grave concern over mounting reports of neglect, discrimination, and abuses against political prisoners Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Marielle Domequil, and other inmates at TCJFD under Warden Eva Naputo and Senior Jail Officer 1 Dalmacio Canayong."
“Unlike prisons in some other countries, food is delivered to our PDLs inside their crowded cells, forcing them to eat on their beds and making their surroundings stink. Our jails smell really bad, itself a form of torture."
Activists and community organizers like the Banjawan sisters are no longer just “arrested” or “disappeared”. They end up experiencing torture to break their spirit before returning them to the land of the living, denied of their liberty for the crime of finding a cause worthy of their life and dignity.
"Art belongs to the people and it is part of holding those in power accountable."
“This advocacy is especially vital considering the odious impact and chilling effect that red-tagging has on the work of journalists in delivering news to the public.”
“They said that it’s for flood mitigation, but why are they dredging the offshore area and not the shallow part of the Banaoang River instead? The ships are scaring the fish away. What’s worse, some of the island’s coast has already eroded."
The rescued Lumad student continues to urge for the reversal of the unjust conviction of Talaingod 13.
“There are months when we catch nothing. But we keep fishing because we have no choice.”
"We wish that the Supreme Court could have recognized that this law only targets a specific portion of the community."
“It’s deeply troubling to think that someone like Imelda Marcos—who was found guilty of plundering public funds—remains free, supposedly due to her age and health. Meanwhile, elderly or ill detainees who are just ordinary citizens must go through extreme difficulty just to be granted consideration."
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