Protect the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Philippines

We, as a Centre concerned with protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples globally, express our concern about continuing reports of violations of the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Philippines and Philippine government allegations that Indigenous advocates are terrorists.

As the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples and the Special Rapporteur on internally displaced people have reported, Lumad Indigenous communities in Mindanao, Philippines, are facing militarization of their region, forcible displacement and killings allegedly carried out by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and affiliated paramilitary groups. This is contrary to the Philippines’ obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Indigenous peoples’ rights under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Further, Indigenous advocates including the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, have been included in a list of names submitted by the Department of Justice to the Manila Regional Trial Court for designation as terrorists, under Philippine anti-terrorist legislation. We share the concerns expressed by UN Human Rights experts, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, about state targeting of Indigenous human rights defenders in the Philippines.”