Rights abuses swept aside in EU-Philippines trade talks — rights groups

MANILA, Philippines — The European Commission should still hold the Philippine government accountable in providing redress for rights abuse victims even as it restarts trade negotiations with the country, human rights groups said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Philippines said that the recent renewal of negotiations between the European Union and the Philippine governments seems to suggest that it is “happy with what the Marcos administration has done in the past year or has promised to do.”

“We - rights advocates as well as victims of rights violations — are eager to see what these improvements are beyond the tokenistic measures we've seen so far, and what these promises and commitments are,” HRW senior researcher Caloy Conde said.

Conde said that while the EU is seeking economic benefits from the Philippines under the Marcos administration, it should still uphold its commitments — like the GSP+ deal — and prioritize human rights alongside trade relations.

“While much of the compliance to GSP+ remains the responsibility of the Philippine government, the EU can't just look the other way because of promises made. There has to be significant, tangible, time-bound results before the EU can give the Philippines a passing mark for it to benefit from the GSP+,” Conde added.

Karapatan said that it is "lamentable" that trade negotiations have restarted given the Philippine governments' poor record of adherence to human rights norms and standards. 

The rights groups said this could help the Marcos administration's attempts to "deodorize" its image in the international arena "despite mounting human rights and international humanitarian law violations and worsening climate of impunity."

Meanwhile, Philippe Dam, HRW EU director, said that it is “concerning” that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not raise the issue of human rights during her dialogue with the president.

“Make no mistake – the human rights situation in the Philippines remains dire; the EU should not look the other way and should tie a future trade deal to concrete labor and human rights improvements and accountability for past violations,” Dam said.

Von der Leyen told CNN Philippines' "The Source" on Monday that the Marcos administration appears to be more cooperative with international organizations on human rights issues compared to the previous administration.

Von der Leyen said that there has been an improvement, but there are still issues that need to be raised. “But the environment is much better and this is important for us that there's improvement in the steps forward," she added.

The EU has decided to relaunch its negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Philippines after years of stormy relations under then-President Rodrigo Duterte. 

Duterte’s violent drug war policy prompted the European Parliament to threaten to withdraw tax perks given to the country in 2018.

Killings resulting from anti-illegal drug operations have continued under President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, according to rights watchdogs. 

According to the UP Third World Studies, at least 336 drug-related killings have occurred since Marcos took office. — Cristina Chi