Stop attacks on young human rights defenders in the Philippines 

Student and youth activists are at the frontline of political and social change, gaining wins on the streets, in schools and in legislatures towards a society that respects, protects, and upholds human rights. But in recent years, young human rights defenders in the Philippines have come under intensified attacks in a coordinated state-led campaign of harassment and intimidation.  

State authorities including the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) have used a deeply flawed Anti-Terror Law to target those who raise their voices against the status quo. They have done so through red-tagging, publicly accusing activists and student groups of being “Communist terrorists” or recruiters thereof. This narrative is fueled by a long-standing domestic conflict that has served to legitimize unrelated attacks on government critics.  

Red-tagging puts a target on the back of activists by opening them up to unwarranted criminal charges, threats to their lives, safety and security at the hands of the police and military — intimidation, online and physical harassment, enforced disappearances, and even unlawful killings.  

Under former President Rodrigo Duterte, incidents of red-tagging surged amidst a crackdown on student activists and organizations under the guise of national security. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this, pushing the NTF-ELCAC, the Philippine military and police onto online platforms such as Facebook, which became the primary vehicle for young people to express their grievances and protest against abusive legislations. State actors continue to employ these tactics to harass, target and intimidate young activists and student journalists into silence.  

On Facebook, the NTF-ELCAC and other official government pages make use of the lack of effective content regulation by spreading false accusations and perpetuating vilifying narratives against activists. Official accounts regularly post names of individuals and youth organizations warning of the alleged “threat” they pose. Facebook has also reportedly been used to surveil young activists, which can then lead onto them being followed, their homes and organization offices being visited or raided, and even legal harassment.  

This has left many young human rights defenders isolated and traumatized. Student organizations have lost members for fear of the repercussions of speaking out. If these attacks continue, a critical generation of young change-makers will be pushed into silence.  

TO PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS JR. AND THE PHILIPPINE CONGRESS:  

We urge you to recognize, respect, and protect the work of activists and human rights defenders–people who fight for life, equality, justice, and a better society for every person.  

  • Abolish the NTF-ELCAC and to carry out a prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the practices of the task force throughout the duration of its operations.    
     
  • Pass the Human Rights Defenders Protection Act as a first step towards recognizing the work of human rights defenders and include among its provisions the definition and penalization of red-tagging.  
     
  • Repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act and carry out an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into abuses in the application of this legislation and related laws. Review provisions of the Cybercrime Act, especially on libel, and ensure that any counterterrorism measures are not used to suppress the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.   
TO META: 
  • Carry out appropriate human rights due diligence throughout the entirety of Meta’s platforms’ operations in the Philippines and increase capacity to review and remove red-tagging content in a timely manner consistent with the threat of incitement to violence for human rights defenders’ security. 

Sign the petition

Help us call on the Philippine government to cease these attacks and keep young human rights defenders safe. 

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