State of human rights in the Philippines still marred by impunity, unlawful killings

By Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Reporter

THE human rights situation in the Philippines remains defined by a deeply entrenched culture of impunity and the continued occurrence of unlawful killings under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., according to the 2026 annual report of London-based watchdog Amnesty International.

At the Manila launch of its report, titled “The State of the World’s Human Rights,” on Tuesday, the Nobel laureate said the high-profile arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the International Criminal Court is a historic step toward accountability. But the group said this exposes the failure of domestic mechanisms to deliver justice, as conditions for activists, journalists, and marginalized communities remain dangerous.

“Here in the Philippines, global crisis of human rights takes on a deeply familiar and deeply alarming form. The Philippines stands at a critical crossroads,” Ritz Lee B. Santos III, section director of Amnesty International Philippines, said in a virtual news briefing from Quezon City.

“Democratic institutions are being eroded, civic spaces are shrinking, and millions of Filipinos, especially those on the margins, are bearing the cost of impunity, corruption, and authoritarian practices,” Mr. Santos said.

The global report, which documents human rights concerns across 144 countries, noted that humanity is at a pivotal moment due to a coordinated assault on the international rules-based order by powerful states, leading to widespread violations.

In the Philippines, unlawful killings in the context of the “war on drugs” persist, with at least 271 drug-related deaths recorded in 2025 at a rate of approximately one person per day. Domestic accountability for these deaths remains minimal, as the group noted that since 2016, only five cases involving nine police officers have resulted in convictions despite thousands of documented killings.

Amnesty flagged the growing use of “red-tagging” as a tool of repression, branding human rights defenders and activists as “communists” and creating a climate of fear.

It also said the Philippines remains deadly for the press, with at least four journalists killed in 2025, including Juan Dayang and Ali Macalintal, while community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been detained for over five years on disputed charges, despite a murder case dismissal in November.

The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 continues to be weaponized against humanitarian and development workers, the group said.

Among its findings, the report detailed excessive police force in Manila during September 2025 anti-corruption protests, with over 200 arrests that included children, while in Cebu, call center workers were forced to continue working during a 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

Indigenous peoples also continue to face human rights abuses as the government allegedly failed to obtain their consent for nickel mining projects that cause deforestation and health problems. Additionally, hearings into the multibillion-peso scam involving infrastructure projects revealed extensive corruption, bribery, and extortion involving politicians and private contractors.

Mr. Santos told reporters that in a six-page response to the group, Malacañang defended its policies and detailed initiatives, but the watchdog maintained that the government’s progress has been insufficient.

Mr. Santos said the response mirrors Amnesty’s findings regarding the contrast between the government’s rhetoric and the actual conditions occurring. He added that while government initiatives exist, they are generally not felt by citizens.

“We need more people to pressure the government to enforce progressive laws,” he said, adding laws that are not as progressive may be repealed or amended.

“As we’ve witnessed for the longest time, that there are so many good laws, particularly here in the Philippines, in terms of civil and cultural rights, in terms of economic and social and cultural rights,” he said. “But the problem is enforcement, and we can’t help but continue to call on the government to do their obligations, do their duty to respect, protect and fulfill human rights.”