Prepared by Cecilia Lero for ACF, this paper talks about the decline in human rights in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte. It argued that the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the government to increase control and power while making it harder for marginalized communities to live safely. Lero outlines existing human rights abuses, such as summary executions linked to the “War on Drugs”, overcongested detention facilities, and attacks on civil society defenders escalated during the lockdown. This happened because of aggressive enforcement, militarized task forces, and restrictive laws such as the Anti-Terror Law of 2020. To address these repeated violations, the paper calls for ending violence condoned by the authorities, and reducing overcrowded prisons through changes in the judicial and bail systems, shifting from harsh to health-centered policies, and ensuring officials are held responsible for their actions.
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