The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines: Opposing and Exposing Rights Violations of the Marcos Jr. Regime

By David Starr

 

Since the 1890s, the U.S. empire has militarily occupied the Philippines, usually with catastrophic results.

 

One organization that is putting a light on rights violations committed by the USA and Philippine elites is the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). It takes a strong stance overall against U.S. occupation of the Philippines, and against the Filipino leaders/officials who have been and are subservient to said occupation over the decades.

 

In a February 14, 2025 report from ICHRP, titled “Stop U.S. Meddling in the Philippines!,” it stated that “US meddling in the Philippines, and direct US involvement in counterinsurgency operations, stand contrary to the people’s aspiration for genuine peace and sovereignty.” And the sovereignty of the Philippines has been repeatedly violated. 

 

An example ICHRP provided was a February 6^th incident where “a United States surveillance plane crashed in a rice field near Amputan, Maguidanao in Mindanao. According to the US Indo Pacific Command, ‘the aircraft was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies. The incident occurred during a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities.’”

 

This disaster proves how U.S. negligence is usually the norm in the archipelago. The consequences of military occupation have had dangerous consequences. And the excuse by the U.S. Indo Pacific Command rings hollow in light of an obvious “devil’s pact” with Philippine elites. 

 

One of those elites is Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose father Marcos Sr. was a U.S.-backed tyrant who aggressively held sway from 1965 to 1986, until a “People Power revolution” overthrew him. Marcos Jr. is apparently turning out to be like his father, despite reassurances that his regime wants peace. 

 

Marcos Jr. has suggested that he wants a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2027-2028 term. The UNSC is comprised of 15 member nations, with five veto-holding members: the United States, Britian, France, China and Russia. In another ICHRP report, Marcos Jr. was quoted, claiming that the Philippines has “rich experience in building peace,” and assured that, “international law is faithfully complied with and permeates all facets of relations among nations.”

 

But that’s sweet talk; so sweet it’s sickening, given the excess of rights violations under his rule. 

 

The ICHRP report asserted that, “Marcos Jr. has fashioned an image of himself based on widespread disinformation campaigns” and is “yet another attempt to gain international respectability and support.” This is rather typical of a U.S.-backed client.

 

ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy is mentioned and quoted: “Over the years, projects like Investigate PH and the International People’s Tribunal on War Crimes have thoroughly demonstrated the chronic cruelty of state terror in the Philippines. Human Rights Groups have found the Philippine government continues to operate with massive impunity while it remains guilty of widespread war crimes in violation of international law.” Murphy also said that Marcos Jr.’s claim is “patently false.”

 

Another important point the report makes is that, “The Marcos regime, indeed, has time after time proved subservient to US interests in the Philippines.” To reiterate, a typical U.S.-backed client, appearing weak in the face of U.S. imperialism. While sacrificing his country’s interests.

 

The ICHRP published “Calls of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).” This is a major organization opposing the U.S. military occupation and the local elites that feed off of it.

 

Three points are made by the NDFP:

 

“1. The NDFP calls on all friends and compatriots to support the Filipino people’s struggle for fundamental reforms. Support the movement for social, economic, political and constitutional reforms in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.

 

2. We call on our friends and compatriots to continue the campaign to stop US-instigated counterinsurgency Oplan Kapayapaan.

 

3. We also call on our friends and compatriots to continue the resumption of peace talks. “

 

(These calls were put out by the NDFP during the Duterte regime. The consequences are long-standing, continued by the Marcos Jr. regime.)

 

The United Nations office in Geneva conducted a committee meeting of experts on February 19 2025 to discuss the rights situation in the Philippines. It concluded the following:

 

“The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded its review of the seventh periodic report of the Philippines, with Committee Experts welcoming the State’s human rights plans and commitments, and asking about attacks on human rights defenders, indigenous land rights and drug use policies.

 

“Asraf Ally Caunhye, Committee Expert and Leader of the Taskforce for the Philippines  welcomed the State party’s human rights plans and commitments. He said, however, that there had been 305 killings of human rights defenders in the Philippines since the last review. The Philippines ranked third globally for killings of human rights defenders. What measures were in place to ensure that those responsible for these crimes were persecuted and sanctioned?

 

“Ludovic Hennebel, Committee Vice-Chair and member of the Task Force for the Philippines, asked about plans to decriminalize drugs for personal use and implement alternatives to imprisonment for drug users. What measures were in place to put an end to the ‘war on drugs’ and to provide reparations to victims?

 

“Rosemarie G. Edilon, Undersecretary, Policy and Planning Group National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines and head of the delegation, introducing the report, said economic development, resilience building, and poverty reduction were central to the Government’s human rights agenda.”

 

The experts were being professional but Edilon was basically lying. What was said and what is going on in the Philippines are two different things. The People’s Tribunal on War Crimes is more trustworthy.

And the U.S. empire is not to be trusted when it comes down to it. Its military occupation of the Philippines for over 100 years is unacceptable in principle. And literally.

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines will continue to be consistent in its efforts to oppose and expose the likes of the Marcos Jr. regime and the acts of the empire.