09 June 2025
Reference: Luthfi Mawarid, Chairperson
Email: ichrpcanada@gmail.com
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), a global network of organizations committed to upholding human rights, stands in solidarity with the Filipino people and its organizations in their courageous call for accountability, justice, and moral governance in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
This impeachment initiative is not only a necessary act of holding a public official accountable for alleged corruption and misuse of public funds, it is also a broader assertion of the people’s right to good governance and protection from impunity. The Filipino people deserve leaders who uphold democratic values, transparency, and respect for human rights, not those who perpetuate systemic abuse, red-tagging, and repression.
ICHRP has consistently monitored and exposed the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines through fact-finding and international mechanisms. The Investigate PH reports and the recently concluded International Observers Mission (IOM) during the 2025 mid-term elections have both affirmed the deepening crisis of impunity, corruption, militarization, and political repression in the country. These reports revealed rampant red-tagging of activists and ordinary citizens, harassment of opposition forces, targeted violence, and the entrenchment of unaccountable power in government institutions, including among those who now hold the highest offices in the land.
Vice President Sara Duterte, as both an elected leader and former education secretary, must be held to the highest standards of public accountability. Yet her tenure has been marred by questions of integrity, political opportunism, and silence in the face of rampant human rights violations. Her alignment with militarist policies and continued support of counterinsurgency programs, often weaponized against legitimate dissent, further deepen the crisis of trust and legitimacy in government.
Furthermore, we call on the Government of Canada to end its complicity in the militarization of the Philippines through the Canada-Philippines Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA). This agreement enables increased foreign military presence and joint operations in Philippine communities, contributing to the cycle of violence, fear, and displacement already endured by many under militarized rule. SOVFA exacerbates the already harsh conditions faced by indigenous peoples, peasants, women, and the poor.
As international advocates and people of conscience, we join you in your demand to end corruption and impunity. We echo your voices for a government that is accountable to the people, just in its practices, and moral in its service. The impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is not merely a political action, it is a moral imperative in the pursuit of justice and meaningful change.
We are with you. We support your struggle.
We raise our voices with yours until justice is served.