Philippine authorities in March arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte and handed him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he awaits possible trial on charges of crimes against humanity tied to thousands of killings during his “war on drugs.”
Yet Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2026 says abuses remain entrenched under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., despite his pledges to uphold rights. Police killings, enforced disappearances, and harassment of activists and journalists continued through 2025, with accountability for perpetrators still the exception rather than the rule.
Extrajudicial Killings and Political Violence
Monitoring by Dahas recorded 238 drug-related killings between January and November 2025, adding to more than 1,000 deaths since Marcos took office in 2022.
Other targeted killings included the June murder of transgender rights activist Ali Macalintal in Mindanao.
Political violence also surged ahead of the May midterm elections, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Red-Tagging and Harassment
Despite a 2024 Supreme Court ruling declaring red-tagging a threat to life and liberty, the practice persists.
Activists, Indigenous leaders, and labor organizers remain frequent targets.
The government has resisted calls from UN experts to dismantle the National Task Force on Ending Local Armed Conflict, instead proposing a 340 percent budget increase for 2026.
Terrorism Financing Charges
Authorities have increasingly used terrorism financing laws against civil society groups, even after the Philippines was removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s “grey list” in 2025.
Courts have dismissed several cases for lack of evidence, but activists such as journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio remain in prolonged detention.
Enforced Disappearances
Indigenous leaders and activists continue to face abductions, with families struggling to obtain information.
The Philippines has not ratified the UN Convention Against Enforced Disappearance, and implementation of its 2012 domestic law remains weak.
Indigenous Rights and Land Conflicts
Communities in Palawan and Mindanao reported harassment and arrests linked to land disputes and ancestral domain claims.
Private security forces deployed by corporations have heightened tensions, with courts often siding against Indigenous residents.
Attacks on Journalists
The Philippines remains one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists.
Three were killed in 2025, while courts delivered mixed rulings in older cases, including the conviction of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes for corruption but not yet for the 2011 murder of broadcaster Gerry Ortega.
Women’s and LGBTQ+ Rights
Abortion remains fully prohibited, with adolescent pregnancies rising sharply. Divorce legislation continues to stall, leaving the Philippines and the Vatican as the only states without divorce laws.
Congress has also failed to pass anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people or civil partnership legislation. (ZIA LUNA)
