Press Release
Ahead of the ASEAN Summit, Amnesty International Philippines is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that protesters and human rights defenders can exercise their right to peaceful assembly without any threats of violence, intimidation or arbitrary arrest from state forces.
“As the Philippines hosts world leaders again for the ASEAN Summit, the Philippine National Police must not repeat their violent response to protesters the last time we hosted it. The use of water cannons and acoustic devices to disperse crowds is excessive, indiscriminate, disproportionate and unnecessary. Such acts of state repression is deplorable,” said Ritz Lee Santos, III, Section Director of Amnesty International Philippines.
Around 60,000 police were poised to block protesters during the 2017 summit where over a hundred protesters were injured according to Health Alliance for Democracy due to violent dispersal tactics. Malacañang said in a statement in September 2026 that the PNP has assured that it will take its responsibility seriously and will help ensure ‘safe, peaceful, and orderly conduct of the summit, and announced that it plans to deploy only 20,000 personnel this year.
Urging people’s organizations to protest another day or take their grievances away from where the summit is going to be held is not upholding the obligation they speak of. People have the right to be seen and heard, confining protests in designated rally sites is not facilitating the right to protest and freedom of expression. It is lazy police work.
Ritz Lee Santos, III, Section Director
“Having spoken about peaceful protest ahead of the ASEAN Summit, the Marcos Administration has upheld a standard for the kind of policing we can expect. Urging people’s organizations to protest another day or take their grievances away from where the summit is going to be held is not upholding the obligation they speak of. People have the right to be seen and heard, confining protests in designated rally sites is not facilitating the right to protest and freedom of expression. It is lazy police work,” added Santos.
Amnesty International Philippines reminds the Palace and the PNP that the peaceful conduct of any form of protest is not the responsibility of the protesters alone, the police must also protect and facilitate peaceful assemblies by not having assumptions that protesters are out to create chaos in the streets.
“Amnesty International Philippines will serve as Human Rights Protest Observers (HRPO) during the three-day summit. We will be watching.” concluded Santos.