The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) welcomes the statement released by United Nations (UN) mandate holders opposing the Philippine government’s misuse of anti-terrorism legislation against human rights defenders and development workers in the Philippines.

The communication made by UN mandate holders affirms our long-standing contention that the Philippine government, under Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr, are using anti-terrorism legislation to suppress human rights and development workers, and other independent and critical voices in society that are definitely not terrorists.

Anyone who observes how actively the government uses anti-terror laws would think that majority of Filipinos are living in terror, fearing actual and potential terrorist attacks. That is not the reality in the country. The reality is that the government, which has trampled on many labor and human rights, is facing legitimate opposition, and is responding with greater repression.

UN mandate holders are appointed by the Human Rights Council and are supported by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Five mandate holders issued a communication dated August 29, 2024 protesting the filing of terrorism-related charges against Cebu-based NGO alliance Community Empowerment Resource Network, Inc. (CERNET).

The five mandate holders are: Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; and Laura Nyirinkindi, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.

CERNET, founded in 2001, is an alliance of nine humanitarian and development NGOs, and 27 individuals affiliated with it face trumped-up charges of terrorist financing, accompanied by red-tagging campaigns by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the military. This case against CERNET includes veteran labor leader Jaime Paglinawan of AMA-Sugbo-KMU.

According to the statement, “The targeting of these human rights defenders and humanitarian workers through intimidation, reputational harm and criminalisation is of particular concern, as it appears to be in direct retaliation for their legitimate and peaceful activities promoting economic, social and cultural rights in the Philippines. We are concerned that such measures risk obstructing the delivery of vital and well-protected humanitarian, human rights and development services.”

CTUHR hopes that the UN mandate holders, the UN OHCHR and the UN Human Rights Commission will continue to monitor the Philippine government’s misuse of anti-terrorism legislation. It has been weaponizing these laws against dissent and legitimate protests and opposition for a few years now and this weaponization must be exposed, opposed and stopped.###