30 August 2024
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) in Canada, stands in solidarity with the Filipino people as we mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30th. We join the global community in calling for an international day of action and condemn the ongoing counterinsurgency efforts under the Marcos Jr. administration which continue to perpetrate these enforced disappearances and other heinous acts.
Despite the Philippine government’s celebration of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) month, recent events starkly contrast with their public statements. On August 6, 2024, the 8th Division of the Philippine Court of Appeals denied environmental activists Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano their application for a writ of amparo and writ of habeas data. This decision came shortly after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) held a press conference in honour of IHL month, highlighting the disconnect between official rhetoric and the harsh reality faced by human rights defenders in the Philippines.
Castro and Tamano were previously abducted on September 2023 by suspected agents of the military and endured 15 days of illegal detention, torture, and threats. In a press conference by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), where they were presented as “rebel surrenderees”, the activists bravely exposed their abduction and the military’s false narratives. According to the recent International People’s Tribunal, this case was a clear attack on civilians and a violation of international humanitarian law. The denial of their legal protection by the court is also a grave injustice, leaving them vulnerable to further retaliation, harassment, and repression.
Karapatan has identified 14 individuals who have been abducted and remain missing, victims of enforced disappearances under the Marcos Jr. administration. The most recent cases include trade union organizer William Lariosa, who was arrested during a military operation in Quezon, Bukidnon on April 10, 2024; former political prisoner Rowena Dasig, who disappeared just outside the Lucena City District Jail following her release on August 21, 2024 and James Jazmines, brother of NDFP consultant, Alan Jazmines, who was last seen in Barangay San Lorenzo, Tabaco City, Albay on August 23, 2024. Efforts of his family, friends and human rights groups to ascertain his whereabouts have been in vain.
As peace-loving Canadians, we demand justice for Castro, Tamano, and all victims of enforced disappearances, and join the international community in holding the Marcos Jr. government accountable for its human rights violations.
ICHRP Canada is particularly concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Canadian and Philippine governments, which could enhance the capacity of the Philippine army to commit human rights abuses and IHL violations. The upcoming state visit of President Marcos Jr., whose rule has been tainted with these abuses, further calls into question Canada’s commitment to human rights.
We urge the Canadian government to prioritize human rights in its relationship with the Philippine government, to review the human rights implications of its military and economic agreements, and to exercise guidelines such as Voices at Risk to protect human rights defenders in the Philippines.
As the 32nd anniversary of the Hague Joint Declaration and the International Day of Prayer for Just Peace in the Philippines on September 1st draw near, ICHRP Canada urges the international community to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle for justice and peace.