Category: Philippines

PHILIPPINES: Acceleration of extra-judicial killings of jurists in the Philippines

44th Session - June2020, Philippines, Written Submissions June 30, 2020 admin 0 Comments

A Written Submission to the 44th Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council Jointly Submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (Council), during its 41st Session, adopted Resolution A/HRC/41/L.20, Promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines (Resolution 41/L.20)1, requesting the High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR) to present a comprehensive report on human rights in the Philippines to the Council at its 44th Session. Resolution 41/L.20 urged the Philippines “to take all necessary measures to prevent extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, to carry out impartial investigations and to hold perpetrators accountable.” At the 42nd […]

PHILIPPINES: Extrajudicial killing of jurists as part of a pattern of widespread and systematic violations of human rights

42nd Session - September 20`9, ALRC AT THE UN, Philippines, Written Submissions September 12, 2019 admin 0 Comments

A Joint Written Submission to the 42nd Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada PHILIPPINES: Extrajudicial killing of jurists as part of a pattern of widespread and systematic violations of human rights 1. Introduction Since 30 June 2016, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (the Philippines) has engaged in a campaign of extrajudicial killing in violation of the Philippines’ international law obligations. Since President Rodrigo Duterte (President Duterte) took office on 30 June 2016, up to 27,0001 persons have been extrajudicially killed with impunity, as part of a “war on drugs.” The Philippines’ official number is […]

PHILIPPINES: Government uses law and policy to violate rights to peaceful assembly and association

29th Session - 2015 June, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, Human Rights Council, Philippines, South East Asia June 9, 2015January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-CWS-29-11-2015 June 09, 2015 A Joint Written Submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre and KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights – Philippines PHILIPPINES: Government uses law and policy to violate rights to peaceful assembly and association The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights – Philippines welcome the General Assembly’s Resolution (A/HRC/RES/24/5) that recognizes the “importance of the freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association,” and the role of civil society in “building peaceful, prosperous, and democratic” society. To be able to assemble freely and associate peacefully is important in having […]

PHILIPPINES: Government policy and practice defeat UN’s objective to eliminate killings

29th Session - 2015 June, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, Human Rights Council, Philippines, South East Asia June 8, 2015January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALRC-CWS-29-06-2015 June 08, 2015 A Joint Written Submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre and KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights – Philippines PHILIPPINES: Government policy and practice defeat UN’s objective to eliminate killings The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights – Philippines (Karapatan ) welcome the General Assembly’s Resolution (A/HRC/RES/26/12) reaffirming the “need for effective action to combat and eliminate the abhorrent practice of extrajudicial” killings. The failure, if not inability, to hold the perpetrators accountable,” as the Resolution rightly pointed, “remains the main cause of the continued occurrence” of […]

PHILIPPINES: Torture of RahmanTotoh – ALRC responds to Government’s report to UN

Countries, documents, Philippines, statements March 18, 2015January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

A Statement by the Asian Legal Resource Centre Further to our comments on the Government’s periodic report to the UN Committee against Torture, herein we will look into the case of RahmanTotoh. In its communications (UN Doc. CAT/C/PHL/Q/3, para. 5), the Committee requested the Government to comment on “no investigations” into Totoh’s claim of torture, in addition tothe medical examination he received not meeting“the standards required by the Anti-Torture Act”. In a letter to Mr. Juan Mendez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture, dated September 23, 2011, the Asian Human Rights Commission, ALRC’s sister organisation, urged the Rapporteur to intervene to ensure that an impartial and prompt investigation is conducted in […]

PHILIPPINES: UN expert held-the government violated Maguindanao massacre families rights to be free from “cruel, inhuman treatment”

Countries, documents, Philippines, press releases March 17, 2015January 16, 2017 admin 0 Comments

A Press Release by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (Hong Kong, March 17, 2015) For “failing to provide reparations to survivors and their families,” Mr. Juan E. Mendez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture, concluded: the government violated the rights of witnesses, survivors and families of the Maguindanao massacre, to be free from “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” Mendez’s report  (UN Doc. A/HRC/28/68/Add.1, para. 433-434) refers to the government’s obligations under article 16 of the Convention against Torture (CAT) to prevent “other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” that do not amount to torture. In his report on the Philippines presented to the 28th Session of the UN Human Rights […]

PHILIPPINES: Failure to investigate and prevent widespread attacks on human rights defenders

28th Session - 2015 March, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, documents, Human Rights Council, Philippines, Written Submissions March 3, 2015July 14, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

ALRC-CWS-28-005-2015 March 03, 2015 A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PHILIPPINES: Failure to investigate and prevent widespread attacks on human rights defenders 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (A/HRC/28/63). We take note of the Special Rapporteur’s emphasis on the importance of “preventing violations against defenders (para. 6).” In General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/68/181 para. 9), states are called upon to “exercise due diligence in preventing violations and abuses” against defenders in line with their primary responsibility to promote and protect rights. 2. The ALRC takes note of […]

PHILIPPINES: Failure of the court to prevent arbitrary detention

27th Session - 2014 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, Human Rights Council, Philippines August 2, 2014July 8, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

ALRC-CWS-27-05-2014 September 2, 2014 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twenty seventh session, Agenda Item 3, Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on Working Group on Arbitrary Detention A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PHILIPPINES: Failure of the court to prevent arbitrary detention 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) takes note of the opinion of the two reports of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (A/HRC/27/47 and A/HRC/27/48) on the role of courts in protecting persons from arbitrary detention. The ALRC agrees on the importance of the “right to challenge the lawfulness of detention before court as a self-standing human right (A/HRC/27/47, para 13),” […]

PHILIPPINES: Forced evictions push victims to hunger, inhuman living condition

25th Session - 2014 March, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, documents, Human Rights Council, Philippines, Written Submissions February 28, 2014July 10, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

ALRC-CWS-25-15-2014 February 28, 2014 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twenty fifth session, Agenda Item 3, General Debate A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre PHILIPPINES: Forced evictions push victims to hunger, inhuman living condition 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) draws the attention of the Human Rights Council to increasing attacks on the urban poor in Philippines, particularly in the Metro Manila region. The attacks include denial of livelihood opportunities to the urban poor and demolition of their habitats. Such demolition drives are conducted in violation of Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) promising adequate standard […]

PHILIPPINES: Torture and violence against children in child care institutions must end

25th Session - 2014 March, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, documents, Human Rights Council, Philippines, Written Submissions February 25, 2014July 10, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

ALRC-CWS-25-09-2014 February 25, 2014 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twenty fifth session, Agenda Item 3, Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on violence against children A joint written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre and Bahay Tuluyan PHILIPPINES: Torture and violence against children in child care institutions must end 1. The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and Bahay Tuluyan, a local partner of the ALRC working on the issue of children in need of special protection, welcomes the annual report of the Special Representative on Violence against Children (A/HRC/25/47). We unequivocally support the imperatives pursuing the “ban on all forms of […]