FOREWORD

The human rights situation in the country took a fast dive in 2016 when President Duterte was elected to office and his flagship campaign against illegal drugs was formally and fully launched into action. Contrary to the official number of casualties released by the Philippine National Police -- 5,810 killed from July 2016 to 2020 due to anti-drug operations -- human rights groups assert that, in reality, the lives lost from the government’s “War on the Poor” is actually triple that number. Neither of the numbers, though, may simply be acceptable. Each one of them represents significant lives with hopes, dreams, and a future stolen permanently, as well as loved ones forever changed by their personal tragedies. I know and feel this for a fact. My only brother was among the thousands of victims of enforced disappearance during the dark days of martial rule in the country.

Amid his bloody campaign, Duterte brazenly threatens and attacks human rights champions who remind the government to follow due process of the law. But the authoritarian leader prefers to silence its critics with fear. And so we use fear to continue telling about the glaring injustice and increasing despotism in the country.

In 2016, the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services, Inc. focused on its HR Program. In accordance with the triangle framework our team developed, we started with building a network of courageous partners from the church, similar-minded legal groups, and other civil society organizations. IDEALS lawyers, paralegals, and social workers partnered with affected communities for human rights promotion and education. This work, more importantly, enabled us to document cases of human rights violations in relation to the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, and eventually gather and analyze the data. It was quite a deep learning experience for the staff to personally hear the stories of Filipinos affected by these HRVs.

As we present our initial findings, we hope to give a more grounded and comprehensive picture of the human rights situation in the country -- and ultimately, amplify the voices of the victims and/or their families. We hope to trigger a more extensive discussion on this precarious yet crucial subject at the national and international level.

Despite 2020 being largely defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, the study becomes relevant even more. Reports show that killings and impunity evidently continues amid the crisis. And so does the attack on human rights defenders who are continuously being persecuted (red-tagging), some brutally executed. Still added to these are the rights of the people amid disasters which are being undermined.

In a time of uncertainty where hope and accountability seem to be more and more elusive, especially for the most vulnerable citizens, we wish for this study to be used in the struggle towards a more just society and for the protection of the rights of every Filipino.

Joey Faustino

President, Board of Trustees IDEALS, Inc.