On June 20, 2024, at the 56th Human Rights Council side event, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) delivered a strong statement addressing the ongoing human rights violations in the Philippines, with a particular focus on the extrajudicial killings resulting from the anti-drug campaigns initiated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and continued under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In 2016, Duterte granted the Philippine National Police (PNP) enhanced authority to conduct drug operations, leading to mass killings primarily targeting the urban poor. Despite lacking evidence of their involvement in drugs, these individuals were denied their right to life. Without proper mechanisms for redress and accountability, the Philippines has become a breeding ground for impunity.

Under Duterte’s administration, human rights organizations and the media estimated over 20,000 deaths during the drug war, despite the government's claim of around 6,200 cases. This discrepancy highlights the state’s erasure of over 14,000 killings and possibly undocumented cases.

President Marcos Jr. has expressed his intention to approach the anti-illegal drug campaign through a public health perspective. However, as of June 15, 685 drug war-related deaths have been recorded by Dahas, a multi-sectoral initiative for rigorous research and evidence-based intervention. Despite this, Marcos Jr. continues to refuse cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Recently, four police officers were found guilty of killing Luis Bonifacio and his son Gabriel during a 2016 drug operation in Manila. This ruling, coming eight years after the incident, gives hope that justice still exists. However, families of other victims continue to seek justice, hopeful that the ICC will be a step in the right direction.

Since assuming the presidency, Marcos Jr. has announced plans to establish new structures, policies, and institutions, such as the Special Committee on Human Rights Coordination under Administrative Order 22 (AO 22) and the Enhanced Philippine Anti-Drugs Strategy by the Dangerous Drugs Board. These measures are perceived as attempts to address human rights concerns. But still, Marcos Jr. denies the reality of ongoing human rights violations to present his administration favorably on the global stage, while abuses persist.

Marcos has not ceased the police’s anti-drug campaigns, including the notorious "Double Barrel" and "Oplan Tokhang" strategies initiated by Duterte. The PNP’s “Double Barrel” campaign, launched in 2016 under then-PNP chief Ronaldo "Bato" Dela Rosa, now a senator, specifically targets small-time drug dealers. Although there has been a decline in reported cases of EJKs, the underlying issues remain unresolved.

The Anti-Terror Act continues to exist and is used as a basis for attacks against activists, legal workers, doctors, church people, journalists, and others assisting drug war victims. This law is inherently anti-human rights.

The development of new structures should not merely focus on future attempts to address the drug issue. A shift in approach should ensure justice for victims of Duterte’s War on Drugs and those who opposed the mass killings. Any policy must guarantee that all victims can access justice, adhering to the principle that no one is left behind.

Even as the United Nations Joint Program (UNJP) ends in July, PAHRA continues to demand justice and accountability through independent investigations, as done in previous human rights council sessions. Eight years have passed since Duterte’s War on Drugs began, but the memory of those unjustly killed, tortured, disappeared, and arrested remains vivid.

PAHRA asserts that justice is not contingent on the urgency of events. Denying support for seeking accountability for drug war victims years after the killings is dehumanizing and denies victims recognition and justice. The fight for justice and human rights in the Philippines must continue unabated. ###

The statement was delivered by PAHRA's Project Development Officer, Ms. Samantha David.


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