DOJ urged to extend probe into political, human rights killings

MANILA, Philippines — Progressive groups urged the Department of Justice to extend its investigations into political and human rights killings during the previous and present administrations.

In a statement on Wednesday, December 11, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines said these killings are linked to the government's counter-insurgency efforts and mentioned evidence of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law.

Citing a finding of the international quasi-judicial body International People's Tribunal, the group claimed that former President Rodrigo Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are guilty of war crimes due to "widespread extrajudicial killings, civilian massacres, enforced disappearances, indiscriminate bombings and other gross violations of international humanitarian law."

"The atrocities and anti-people policies and actions of Mr. Duterte appear to persist and intensify under the current Marcos Jr. administration," the group's statement read, quoting the finding of the international tribunal.

On December 10, in commemoration of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, progressive groups submitted documents of "cases" of alleged human rights violations before the Department of Justice.

Persistent rights violations

According to human rights watchdog Karapatan, political violence continues unabated under the Marcos administration.

Since Marcos took office, Karapatan said it has documented 119 political killings, 76 attempted extrajudicial killings, 14 enforced disappearances and over 46,000 civilians affected by military bombings—all tied to the government's counterinsurgency operations.

Among the victims mentioned by the group was student leader and Indigenous Mangyan Jay-el Maligday, who was shot dead by military forces in Oriental Mindoro earlier this year.

Authorities alleged he was a member of the New People's Army. But according to Karapatan, his community testified to his role as a student, church worker and activist.

Charm Maranan, spokesperson for Defend Southern Tagalog, said the case of Maligday is one of the proofs of the ongoing violence in their region.

"Ang kaso ni Jay-el Maligday ay isa lamang sa maraming ulit nang paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa aming rehiyon. Labis-labis ang pagdanak ng dugo sa Timog Katagalugan. Binubulabog ng pasistang militar ang aming mga komunidad habang tuloy-tuloy ang mga atake sa kilusang paggawa, ang pangangamkam ng lupa, at pagsira sa kalikasan," Maranan said.

(The case of Jay-el Maligday is just one of the many repeated violations of human rights in our region. The bloodshed in Southern Tagalog is overwhelming. Our communities are being disrupted by the fascist military while attacks on the labor movement, land grabbing and environmental destruction continue unabated.)

"Walang takas parehong si Marcos at Duterte sa mga krimeng ito. Hahabulin sila ng taong-bayan, tiyak yan," she added.

(There is no escape for both Marcos and Duterte from these crimes. The people will hold them accountable, that's certain.)

On November 6, the Department of Justice formed a task force to probe the alleged extra-judicial killings committed during the war on drugs of the Duterte administration.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the task force is looking into possible violations of the International Humanitarian Law during the drug war.