Amnesty International Philippines is one with every Filipino whose rights, dignity, and future have been undermined by corruption and impunity that has long been plaguing the country for multiple administrations now. But the level of corruption and patronage that the nation blatantly experienced during Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship has been at an all-time high again under former President Duterte and the current Marcos Jr. administration.
The level of corruption and patronage that the nation blatantly experienced during Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship has been at an all-time high again under former President Duterte and the current Marcos Jr. administration.
It is the Philippine government’s fundamental obligation to safeguard the rights of the people by preventing violations not only by government agencies and officials but also by private actors and corporations whose actions, when left unchecked and with acquiescence of government officials, cause deep and lasting harm. When development projects cause environmental destruction or endanger communities, and the government fails its obligation through deliberate weak oversight, the worst effects are felt by the most vulnerable among us.
Amnesty International Philippines is in solidarity with the rest of Filipinos worldwide in demanding that essential social services that are necessary for living with dignity must remain adequate and accessible. Corruption, abuse of power, and a deeply entrenched culture of impunity continue to deprive Filipinos of basic economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR). These rights are often weaponized to serve political interests even during a time when our social security is at its most fragile, government officials continue to exploit the nation’s coffers while they fail at the same time in providing crucial social protections that could offer even a measure of stability during turbulent times, including the global climate crisis affecting both individual lives and entire communities. This is history repeating itself, and Filipinos have had enough.
Amnesty International Philippines is in solidarity with the rest of Filipinos worldwide in demanding that essential social services that are necessary for living with dignity must remain adequate and accessible.
Bad governance weakens our institutions, endangering countless Filipinos and continues to push ordinary Filipinos to the margins. Amnesty International Philippines calls for all rights to be respected, protected, and fulfilled most especially ESCR through policies, laws, and programs that meet the worldwide standards. These rights are not privileges or entitlements, these are inherent and indivisible rights. When hunger rises, when homes are unsafe due to climate change, when health services are inadequate, the government has a duty to provide immediate relief management before the rest of our rights are compromised in a domino effect.
Socio-economic violations brought about by corruption are not experienced equally. They weigh heaviest on those facing multiple and intersecting oppressions. Those living in poverty, women and girls, LGBTI+, indigenous peoples, the labor force, and older persons suffer first and suffer most when taxpayer’s money fall at the hands of corrupt government officials and corporations. Injustice does not exist in isolation, one violation reinforces another. And corruption is the multiplier that deepens inequality, weakens democracy, and robs our people of a human rights future.
The nationwide protests taking place today reflect widespread indignation. Urgent measures are needed to dismantle the political culture that enables corruption and further violations of human rights. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government must strengthen national legal and institutional frameworks for fighting corruption and improving accountability if his administration is serious about ending the cycle of excess and abuse that has long burdened the Filipino people.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government must strengthen national legal and institutional frameworks for fighting corruption and improving accountability if his administration is serious about ending the cycle of excess and abuse that has long burdened the Filipino people.
We march not only in rage, but in hope that comes from standing stronger together in resistance and in the belief that in the end, humanity wins. Our voices today are stronger than the dynasty of greed or any attempt to silence protest.
Today, we walk as one towards justice and accountability, for our dignity and human rights! Be the light.