19 May 2025
The Honourable Anita Anand
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear Minister Anand,
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP-Canada) congratulates you on your recent appointment as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. We wish you well in this critical role at a time when international human rights and democratic values are under serious threat in many parts of the world, including in Southeast Asia.
ICHRP Canada is a chapter of a global coalition of churches, labour groups, civil society and individuals concerned about human rights and democracy in the Philippines. We are writing to bring to your attention our continuing concerns about the Philippine government’s worsening human rights situation and the implications of Canada’s increasing defence and diplomatic engagement with the Marcos Jr. administration.
As you may know, there is a continuing state of repression and systematic violations of human rights in the Philippines under the Government of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. It continues to enact and apply policies and laws to restrict fundamental rights and freedoms, weaponize the law to criminalize dissent, erode democratic institutions and close civic space, including the manipulation of the recent election, and allow the culture of impunity to pervade. Thousands of extrajudicial killings remain unresolved [1][2]. Enforced disappearances, including those of Indigenous youth and community organizers, continue with alarming frequency[3][4]. Human rights defenders, journalists, labour and peasant organizers, and faith leaders are targeted through the Anti-Terror Law and red-tagging campaigns by state security forces including the Philippine military and national police[5][6][7].
In light of this situation, ICHRP Canada has repeatedly conveyed to the Canadian Government our grave concerns about the marked increase in Canadian-Philippine military and security cooperation, including joint exercises under Operation PROJECTION, Canadian naval visits, and strategic dialogues that lack transparency in their commitments to human rights safeguards[8][9][10].
We respectfully urge your office to:
1. Pause all defence cooperation agreements with the Philippines until human rights benchmarks are publicly established and met.
2. Ensure all Canadian development aid and military engagement undergo rigorous human rights due diligence and is conditional on measurable improvements in accountability.
3. Conduct parliamentary reviews of Canada’s defence cooperation agreements and activities in the Philippines and create a mechanism to engage Canadian civil society and diaspora organizations, including ICHRP Canada, in the review process to ensure that they align with Canada’s human rights commitment and address the concerns of Philippine communities and citizens who are affected by Canada’s defence agreements and activities in the Philippines.
ICHRP’s Briefing Paper on Canada’s Human Rights Commitment Amid Expanding Military Ties with the Philippines which we submitted to former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Melanie Joly explains these concerns. The document is attached for your reference.
4. Assist in ending the climate of impunity in the Philippines by supporting the initiatives for international accountability, including the ongoing ICC investigation into the drug war killings under the Duterte administration and rights violations under Marcos Jr.[11][12]
An initial report on the May 2025 Philippine midterm elections, documenting widespread electoral fraud, political violence, and disinformation are issues that continue to undermine the legitimacy of the current administration. [13][14]. A copy of the IOM final report will follow.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your office to further discuss our concerns and policy recommendations in support of a foreign policy that centres on human rights and democratic integrity.
Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Luthfi Mawarid
ICHRP Chairperson
Copy furnished:
Hon. David J. McGuinty
Minister of National Defense
Hon. Steven MacKinnon
Leader of the Government in the House of Common
Ambassador David Hartman
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines
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References:
[1] United Nations Human Rights Council. (2020). Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Philippines.
[2] Human Rights Watch. (2023). Philippines: No Justice for Drug War Killings.
[3] Karapatan. (2023). 2023 Human Rights Report: Under Marcos Jr., Killings and Abductions Continue.
[4] UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. (2023). Communications report to the Human Rights Council.
[5] CIVICUS Monitor. (2023). Civic Space in the Philippines: Repression Through Anti-Terror Law and Red-Tagging.
[6] International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). (2023). Criminalizing Dissent: The Use of Anti-Terror Law in the Philippines.
[7] Reporters Without Borders. (2024). Philippines – Press Freedom Index and Threats to Journalists.
[8] Government of Canada. (2023). Operation PROJECTION – Indo-Pacific.
[9] Canada-Philippines Strategic Dialogue. (2023). Global Affairs Canada Briefing Notes.
[10] The Breach. (2024). “Canada Expanding Military Ties With Repressive Philippines Government.”
[11] International Criminal Court. (2023). Philippines: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber Authorizes Resumption of Investigation.
[12] Coalition for the ICC. (2023). Statement on ICC and Accountability in the Philippines.
[13] ICHRP. (2025). Preliminary Report of the International Observer Mission: May 2025 Philippine Midterm Elections.
[14] Kontra Daya. (2025). Statement on Electoral Irregularities and Violence in the 2025 Midterm Elections.