The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) welcomes the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant against former President Rodrigo Duterte. We also welcome the immediate arrest of Duterte upon his return to the country today from a trip to Hong Kong.

These events prove that the grave labor and human rights violations that Duterte carried out while president are unacceptably wrong. We are hoping that Duterte’s arrest will lead to justice for the numerous victims of grave labor and human rights violations under his presidency. Today, we are also demanding the following:

Justice for the tens of thousands of suspected drug addicts and pushers who were extra-judicially killed under Duterte! The Philippine National Police states that more than 6,000 were killed in the course of Duterte’s drug war, while human rights organizations place the number at more than 30,000.

Justice for the 68 workers and unionists who were extra-judicially killed under Duterte! The International Labour Organization’s High-Level Tripartite Mission to the Philippines in 2023 concluded that the Duterte government conflated unionism with the armed insurgency in the country, thereby resulting in repressive attacks against the labor movement.  

Release the remaining 25 political prisoners from the labor movement and justice for the political prisoners from the labor movement who were imprisoned by Duterte! The Duterte government imprisoned so many labor activists and leaders using fabricated charges and planted evidence. Release the more than 760 political prisoners in the country and justice for them!

Abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or NTF-ELCAC! This monster was created by Duterte and called for, and justified, Duterte’s grave labor and human rights violations. It promoted and popularized red-tagging as a way to silence government critics. It is responsible for many rights violations against workers, unions, labor activists, labor leaders and labor organizations in the country.

Hold Duterte’s fascist factotums who have blood in their hands accountable too! Former police chiefs Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Debold Sinas, former Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, former NTF-ELCAC spokespersons Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz, Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert and Manila RTC Judge Jason Zapanta, among others – all must be held accountable for their crimes.

The labor and human rights community has not forgotten the Duterte regime’s crimes. We will continue to take action to ensure that Duterte’s arrest will lead to justice and accountability – and to ensure that the Filipino workers and people are empowered to stand up for labor and human rights, democracy and social justice.