The recent human rights developments in the Philippines: Speech on behalf of the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the EP Plenary

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Thank you Mr President and Honourable Members,

We share your concerns over the situation in the Philippines.

Concerning extrajudicial killings, the European Union continues to receive reports of human rights violations in law enforcement operations in the so-called ‘war on drugs’ and in ‘red-tagging´. We have repeatedly called on the Government to conduct impartial and transparent investigations of all such deaths.

During last year’s first Sub-Committee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under our Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, the European Union called on the Philippines to address extrajudicial killings, provide remedies for victims and hold perpetrators accountable. The European Union also raised concerns about restrictions of civil space, including reported attacks against human rights defenders, trade unionists and journalists.

The Philippines recognised its obligations to respect freedom of opinion and expression, including journalists’ freedom of information. The Government also agreed on the need to protect human rights defenders and enable their work in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. We will continue to press for this declaration to be fully implemented in practice.

There are also grave violations of labour rights, with continued reports of extrajudicial killings of trade unionists and violations of fundamental International Labour Organization conventions on child labour. Intimidation and persecution of trade unionists impedes effective implementation of all fundamental International Labour Organization conventions.

We reiterate to the Government its human rights and labour rights obligations related to its commitments under the European Union’s special incentive arrangement, the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+). A GSP+ monitoring mission will go to Manila shortly, providing an opportunity to engage government and civil society directly.

The European Union welcomes the UN-Philippines joint programme for cooperation on human rights, signed last July, and will provide financial support for its implementation, including on domestic accountability mechanisms. 

Finally, next week marks the fifth anniversary of the imprisonment of Senator [Leila M.] de Lima. She will have spent five years in pre-trial detention yet is standing again in the country’s general election.  As former President Benigno Aquino has said, “If injustice could be done to Leila, a sitting Senator, injustice could be done to anyone.” Today we salute the Senator’s courage. Her rights to due process must be respected.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-218153  [starts at 31:30]