| Philippines Republic of Philippines Republika ng Pilipinas Joined United Nations: 24 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 11/23/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Manila
99,900,177 (July 2010 est.)
President and Vice President (Manuel "Noli" DE CASTRO) elected
on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year term;
election last held on 10 May 2010
Next scheduled election: 10 May 2016
on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year term;
election last held on 10 May 2010
Next scheduled election: 10 May 2016
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
According to the Philippines Constitution, the President is both
the Chief of State and Head of Government
the Chief of State and Head of Government
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other
25.3% (2000 census)
25.3% (2000 census)
| RELIGIONS |
Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%,
unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)
unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 81 provinces and 136 chartered cities; Legal system is based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Executive: President and Vice President elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 10 May
2010 (next to be held in 10 May 2016)
Legislative: Bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years;
members elected at large by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Nga
Kinatawan; the House has 287 seats including 230 members in one tier representing districts and 57 sectoral party-list members in a
second tier representing special minorities elected on the basis of one seat for every 2% of the total vote but are limited to three
seats; a party represented in one tier may not hold seats in the other tier; all House members are elected by popular vote to serve
three-year terms
note: the constitution limits the House of Representatives to 250 members; the number of members allowed was increased,
however, through legislation when in April 2009 the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that additional party members could sit in the
House of Representatives if they received the required number of votes
elections: Senate - last held on 10 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2013); House of Representatives - elections last held on 10
May 2010 (next to be held in May 2013)
Judicial: Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and
serve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Executive: President and Vice President elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 10 May
2010 (next to be held in 10 May 2016)
Legislative: Bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years;
members elected at large by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Nga
Kinatawan; the House has 287 seats including 230 members in one tier representing districts and 57 sectoral party-list members in a
second tier representing special minorities elected on the basis of one seat for every 2% of the total vote but are limited to three
seats; a party represented in one tier may not hold seats in the other tier; all House members are elected by popular vote to serve
three-year terms
note: the constitution limits the House of Representatives to 250 members; the number of members allowed was increased,
however, through legislation when in April 2009 the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that additional party members could sit in the
House of Representatives if they received the required number of votes
elections: Senate - last held on 10 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2013); House of Representatives - elections last held on 10
May 2010 (next to be held in May 2013)
Judicial: Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and
serve until 70 years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for hearing corruption cases of government officials)
| LANGUAGES |
Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo,
Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
| BRIEF HISTORY |
Human fossil (lucy) records indicate that the Philippines may have been inhabited for thousands of years. According to earlier
archaeological findings, the first man in the Philippines came around islands with Asia, dubbed the "Dawn Man". Yet the oldest
human fossil found in the Philippines thus far is the 22,000-year-old skull cap of a "Stone-Age Filipino" inside Lucy cave Cave,
Palawan, on May 28, 1962 and dubbed the "Tabon Man". After these early settlers, the Negrito arrived, whose ancestors include
the Ati and the Aeta. The Austronesian-speaking peoples originated from Proto-Austronesian peoples in South China, coastal
Southeast Asia, and island Southeast Asia. The two best known hypotheses are that the Austronesian languages developed either in
Taiwan about 7,000 years ago or in island Southeast Asia. The Malayo-Polynesian-speaking peoples, an Austronesian branch,
settled in the Philippines about 3,000 BC, and spread eastward to the Pacific Islands, and westward to Madagascar. The
Philippines had cultural and trade relations with India, China, Japan, and Islamic merchants as early as the 9th to the 12th century.
Hence there as a growth in thalassocratic civilization, related to but distinct from cultures in the Malay archipelago. Islam was
brought to the Philippines by traders and proselytizers from the Indonesian islands. By the 13th century, Islam was established in the
Sulu Archipelago and spread from there to Mindanao; it had reached the Manila area by 1565. Although Islam spread to Luzon,
Animism was still the religion of the majority of the Philippine islands. Muslim immigrants introduced a political concept of territorial
states ruled by rajas or sultans who exercised suzerainty over the datu. Neither the political state concept of the Muslim rulers nor
the limited territorial concept of the sedentary rice farmers of Luzon, however, spread beyond the areas where they originated. The
Philippine islands first came to the attention of Europeans with the Spanish expedition around the world led by Portuguese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Magellan landed on the island of Cebu, claiming the lands for Spain and naming them Islas de San
Lazaro. He established friendly relations with some of the local chieftains and converted some of them to Roman Catholicism.
However, Magellan was killed in a dispute with indigenous tribal groups led by a chieftain named Lapu-Lapu. Over the next several
decades, other Spanish expeditions were dispatched to the islands. In 1543, Ruy López de Villalobos led an expedition to the
islands and gave the name Las Islas Filipinas (after Philip II of Spain) to the islands of Samar and Leyte. The name would later be
given to the entire archipelago. Permanent Spanish settlement was not established until 1565 when an expedition led by the
Conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi, arrived in Cebu from Mexico (New Spain). Six years later, following the defeat of the
local Muslim ruler, Rajah Solayman, Legazpi established a capital at Manila, a location that offered the excellent harbor of Manila
Bay, a large population, and proximity to the ample food supplies of the central Luzon rice lands. Manila became the center of
Spanish government, including military, religious, and commercial activities in the islands. The Philippines was administered as a
province of New Spain until Mexican independence (1821). The Philippines was not profitable as a colony, and a long war with the
Dutch in the 17th century and intermittent conflict with the Muslims nearly bankrupted the colonial treasury. Colonial income derived
mainly from entrepôt trade: The Manila Galleons sailing from Acapulco on the west coast of New Spain brought shipments of silver
bullion and minted coin that were exchanged for return cargoes of Chinese goods. There was no direct trade with Spain. Spanish
rule on the Philippines was briefly interrupted in 1762, when British troops occupied Manila as a result of Spain's entry into the
Seven Years' War. The Treaty of Paris of 1763 restored Spanish rule and in 1764 the British left the country fearing another costly
war with Spain. The brief British occupation weakened Spain's grip on power and sparked rebellions and demands for
independence. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. Rizal was implicated in the outbreak of the revolution and executed for
treason in 1896. In 1898, as conflicts continued in the Philippines, the USS Maine, having been sent to Cuba because of U.S.
concerns for the safety of its citizens during an ongoing Cuban revolution, exploded and sank in Havana harbor. This event
precipitated the Spanish-American war. After Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish squadron at Manila, the U.S.
invited Aguinaldo to return to the Philippines, which he did on May 19, 1898, in the hope he would rally Filipinos against the
Spanish colonial government. By the time U.S. land forces had arrived, the Filipinos had taken control of the entire island of Luzon,
except for the walled city of Intramuros. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines in Kawit,
Cavite, establishing the First Philippine Republic under Asia's first democratic constitution. Hostilities broke out on February 4,
1899, after two American privates on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in San Juan, a Manila suburb. This incident sparked the
Philippine-American War, which would cost far more money and took far more lives than the Spanish-American War. Some
126,000 American soldiers would be committed to the conflict; 4,234 Americans died, as did 16,000 Filipino soldiers who were
part of a nationwide guerrilla movement of indeterminate numbers. The United States defined its colonial mission as one of tutelage,
preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. In 1933, the United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act as a
Philippine Independence Act over President Herbert Hoover's veto. A constitution was framed in 1934 and overwhelmingly
approved by plebiscite the following year. On May 14, 1935, an election to fill the newly created office of President of the
Commonwealth was won by Manuel L. Quezon of the Nacionalista Party, and a Filipino government was formed on the basis of
principles similar to the U.S. Constitution. Japan launched a surprise attack on the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Philippines on
December 8, 1941, just ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by
large-scale underground and guerrilla activity. Fighting continued until Japan's formal surrender on September 2, 1945. Elections
were held in April 1946, with Manuel Roxas becoming the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines. The United
States receded its sovereignty over the Philippines on July 4, 1946, as scheduled. Macapagal ran for re-election in 1965, but was
defeated by his former party-mate, Senate President Ferdinand Marcos, who had switched to the Nacionalista Party. Amidst the
rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972.
Appeasing the Roman Catholic Church before the visit of Pope John Paul II, Marcos officially lifted martial law on January 17,
1981. A peaceful civilian-military uprising, now popularly called the 1986 EDSA Revolution, forced Marcos into exile and installed
Corazon Aquino as president on February 25, 1986. Corazon Aquino immediately formed a revolutionary government to normalize
the situation, and provided for a transitional "Freedom Constitution". A new permanent constitution was ratified and enacted in
February 1987. In 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty that would have allowed a 10-year extension of the U.S. military
bases in the country. The United States turned over Clark Air Base in Pampanga to the government in November, and Subic Bay
Naval Base in Zambales in December 1992, ending almost a century of U.S. military presence in the Philippines. Joseph Estrada, a
former movie actor who had served as Ramos' vice president, was elected president by a landslide victory in 1998. His election
campaign pledged to help the poor and develop the country's agricultural sector. Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (the
daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal) was sworn in as Estrada's successor on the day of his departure. She was
re-elected and sworn in for her own six-year term as president on June 30, 2004. She was replaced by the son of former
Presidents Benigno Corazon Aquino, Benigno III, on 30 June 2010.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Philippines
archaeological findings, the first man in the Philippines came around islands with Asia, dubbed the "Dawn Man". Yet the oldest
human fossil found in the Philippines thus far is the 22,000-year-old skull cap of a "Stone-Age Filipino" inside Lucy cave Cave,
Palawan, on May 28, 1962 and dubbed the "Tabon Man". After these early settlers, the Negrito arrived, whose ancestors include
the Ati and the Aeta. The Austronesian-speaking peoples originated from Proto-Austronesian peoples in South China, coastal
Southeast Asia, and island Southeast Asia. The two best known hypotheses are that the Austronesian languages developed either in
Taiwan about 7,000 years ago or in island Southeast Asia. The Malayo-Polynesian-speaking peoples, an Austronesian branch,
settled in the Philippines about 3,000 BC, and spread eastward to the Pacific Islands, and westward to Madagascar. The
Philippines had cultural and trade relations with India, China, Japan, and Islamic merchants as early as the 9th to the 12th century.
Hence there as a growth in thalassocratic civilization, related to but distinct from cultures in the Malay archipelago. Islam was
brought to the Philippines by traders and proselytizers from the Indonesian islands. By the 13th century, Islam was established in the
Sulu Archipelago and spread from there to Mindanao; it had reached the Manila area by 1565. Although Islam spread to Luzon,
Animism was still the religion of the majority of the Philippine islands. Muslim immigrants introduced a political concept of territorial
states ruled by rajas or sultans who exercised suzerainty over the datu. Neither the political state concept of the Muslim rulers nor
the limited territorial concept of the sedentary rice farmers of Luzon, however, spread beyond the areas where they originated. The
Philippine islands first came to the attention of Europeans with the Spanish expedition around the world led by Portuguese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Magellan landed on the island of Cebu, claiming the lands for Spain and naming them Islas de San
Lazaro. He established friendly relations with some of the local chieftains and converted some of them to Roman Catholicism.
However, Magellan was killed in a dispute with indigenous tribal groups led by a chieftain named Lapu-Lapu. Over the next several
decades, other Spanish expeditions were dispatched to the islands. In 1543, Ruy López de Villalobos led an expedition to the
islands and gave the name Las Islas Filipinas (after Philip II of Spain) to the islands of Samar and Leyte. The name would later be
given to the entire archipelago. Permanent Spanish settlement was not established until 1565 when an expedition led by the
Conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi, arrived in Cebu from Mexico (New Spain). Six years later, following the defeat of the
local Muslim ruler, Rajah Solayman, Legazpi established a capital at Manila, a location that offered the excellent harbor of Manila
Bay, a large population, and proximity to the ample food supplies of the central Luzon rice lands. Manila became the center of
Spanish government, including military, religious, and commercial activities in the islands. The Philippines was administered as a
province of New Spain until Mexican independence (1821). The Philippines was not profitable as a colony, and a long war with the
Dutch in the 17th century and intermittent conflict with the Muslims nearly bankrupted the colonial treasury. Colonial income derived
mainly from entrepôt trade: The Manila Galleons sailing from Acapulco on the west coast of New Spain brought shipments of silver
bullion and minted coin that were exchanged for return cargoes of Chinese goods. There was no direct trade with Spain. Spanish
rule on the Philippines was briefly interrupted in 1762, when British troops occupied Manila as a result of Spain's entry into the
Seven Years' War. The Treaty of Paris of 1763 restored Spanish rule and in 1764 the British left the country fearing another costly
war with Spain. The brief British occupation weakened Spain's grip on power and sparked rebellions and demands for
independence. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. Rizal was implicated in the outbreak of the revolution and executed for
treason in 1896. In 1898, as conflicts continued in the Philippines, the USS Maine, having been sent to Cuba because of U.S.
concerns for the safety of its citizens during an ongoing Cuban revolution, exploded and sank in Havana harbor. This event
precipitated the Spanish-American war. After Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish squadron at Manila, the U.S.
invited Aguinaldo to return to the Philippines, which he did on May 19, 1898, in the hope he would rally Filipinos against the
Spanish colonial government. By the time U.S. land forces had arrived, the Filipinos had taken control of the entire island of Luzon,
except for the walled city of Intramuros. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines in Kawit,
Cavite, establishing the First Philippine Republic under Asia's first democratic constitution. Hostilities broke out on February 4,
1899, after two American privates on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in San Juan, a Manila suburb. This incident sparked the
Philippine-American War, which would cost far more money and took far more lives than the Spanish-American War. Some
126,000 American soldiers would be committed to the conflict; 4,234 Americans died, as did 16,000 Filipino soldiers who were
part of a nationwide guerrilla movement of indeterminate numbers. The United States defined its colonial mission as one of tutelage,
preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. In 1933, the United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act as a
Philippine Independence Act over President Herbert Hoover's veto. A constitution was framed in 1934 and overwhelmingly
approved by plebiscite the following year. On May 14, 1935, an election to fill the newly created office of President of the
Commonwealth was won by Manuel L. Quezon of the Nacionalista Party, and a Filipino government was formed on the basis of
principles similar to the U.S. Constitution. Japan launched a surprise attack on the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Philippines on
December 8, 1941, just ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by
large-scale underground and guerrilla activity. Fighting continued until Japan's formal surrender on September 2, 1945. Elections
were held in April 1946, with Manuel Roxas becoming the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines. The United
States receded its sovereignty over the Philippines on July 4, 1946, as scheduled. Macapagal ran for re-election in 1965, but was
defeated by his former party-mate, Senate President Ferdinand Marcos, who had switched to the Nacionalista Party. Amidst the
rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972.
Appeasing the Roman Catholic Church before the visit of Pope John Paul II, Marcos officially lifted martial law on January 17,
1981. A peaceful civilian-military uprising, now popularly called the 1986 EDSA Revolution, forced Marcos into exile and installed
Corazon Aquino as president on February 25, 1986. Corazon Aquino immediately formed a revolutionary government to normalize
the situation, and provided for a transitional "Freedom Constitution". A new permanent constitution was ratified and enacted in
February 1987. In 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty that would have allowed a 10-year extension of the U.S. military
bases in the country. The United States turned over Clark Air Base in Pampanga to the government in November, and Subic Bay
Naval Base in Zambales in December 1992, ending almost a century of U.S. military presence in the Philippines. Joseph Estrada, a
former movie actor who had served as Ramos' vice president, was elected president by a landslide victory in 1998. His election
campaign pledged to help the poor and develop the country's agricultural sector. Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (the
daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal) was sworn in as Estrada's successor on the day of his departure. She was
re-elected and sworn in for her own six-year term as president on June 30, 2004. She was replaced by the son of former
Presidents Benigno Corazon Aquino, Benigno III, on 30 June 2010.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Philippines
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Philippine GDP grew just under 1% in 2009 but the economy weathered the 2008-09 global recession better than its regional peers
due to minimal exposure to securities issued by troubled global financial institutions; lower dependence on exports; relatively resilient
domestic consumption, supported by large remittances from four-to five-million overseas Filipino workers; and a growing business
process outsourcing industry. Economic growth in the Philippines has averaged 4.5% per year since 2001, when President
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO took office. Despite this growth, poverty worsened during the term of MACAPAGAL-ARROYO,
because of a high population growth rate and inequitable distribution of income. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO averted a fiscal crisis
by pushing for new revenue measures and, until recently, tightening expenditures to address the government's yawning budget deficit
and to reduce high debt and debt service ratios. But the government abandoned its 2008 balanced-budget goal in order to help the
economy weather the global financial and economic storm. The economy faces several long term challenges. The Philippines must
maintain the reform momentum in order to catch up with regional competitors, boost trade, alleviate poverty, and improve
employment opportunities and infrastructure. Inadequate tax revenues could limit the government's ability to address these issues.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Philippines)
due to minimal exposure to securities issued by troubled global financial institutions; lower dependence on exports; relatively resilient
domestic consumption, supported by large remittances from four-to five-million overseas Filipino workers; and a growing business
process outsourcing industry. Economic growth in the Philippines has averaged 4.5% per year since 2001, when President
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO took office. Despite this growth, poverty worsened during the term of MACAPAGAL-ARROYO,
because of a high population growth rate and inequitable distribution of income. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO averted a fiscal crisis
by pushing for new revenue measures and, until recently, tightening expenditures to address the government's yawning budget deficit
and to reduce high debt and debt service ratios. But the government abandoned its 2008 balanced-budget goal in order to help the
economy weather the global financial and economic storm. The economy faces several long term challenges. The Philippines must
maintain the reform momentum in order to catch up with regional competitors, boost trade, alleviate poverty, and improve
employment opportunities and infrastructure. Inadequate tax revenues could limit the government's ability to address these issues.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Philippines)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
In 1992 elections, the LDP was split in half. Fidel V. Ramos formed his own party known as the Partido Lakas ng Tao, which
coalesced with the National Union of Christian Democrats. Their union was later known as the Lakas-NUCD, now known as
Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats. The LDP was bannered by Ramon Mitra. During these elections, the Nacionalista Party
was also split into two. The Nacionalistas were led by Salvador Laurel while the splinter group led by Danding Cojuangco was
known as the Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC.
In the 1998 elections, three new political parties were formed: the Partido ng Masang Pilipino of Joseph Estrada, the Aksyon
Demokratiko (Democratic Action) of Raul Roco, and the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KAMPI) of Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo.
There are other regional political parties, such as Panaghiusa (precursor of the Osmeñas' BO-PK) and the Mindanao Alliance in
Mindanao. However, many of these parties are now defunct.
It is believed that Philippine political parties share one common platform. However, it is also perceived that Philippine political
parties are also not based on political platform, but rather on personality. Turncoatism is so widespread that there were moves from
lawmakers in the past to make this illegal, since it is believed that switching party allegiances are easy in Philippine politics. The
image of turncoatism among politicians also fuels the belief that many Philippine politicians are opportunist, using their political power
for personal gain.
On 30 June 2010, Benigno Aquino III, son of former presidents Benigno II and, upon his death, wife Corazon Aquino, was sworn
in as president.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Philippines
coalesced with the National Union of Christian Democrats. Their union was later known as the Lakas-NUCD, now known as
Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats. The LDP was bannered by Ramon Mitra. During these elections, the Nacionalista Party
was also split into two. The Nacionalistas were led by Salvador Laurel while the splinter group led by Danding Cojuangco was
known as the Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC.
In the 1998 elections, three new political parties were formed: the Partido ng Masang Pilipino of Joseph Estrada, the Aksyon
Demokratiko (Democratic Action) of Raul Roco, and the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KAMPI) of Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo.
There are other regional political parties, such as Panaghiusa (precursor of the Osmeñas' BO-PK) and the Mindanao Alliance in
Mindanao. However, many of these parties are now defunct.
It is believed that Philippine political parties share one common platform. However, it is also perceived that Philippine political
parties are also not based on political platform, but rather on personality. Turncoatism is so widespread that there were moves from
lawmakers in the past to make this illegal, since it is believed that switching party allegiances are easy in Philippine politics. The
image of turncoatism among politicians also fuels the belief that many Philippine politicians are opportunist, using their political power
for personal gain.
On 30 June 2010, Benigno Aquino III, son of former presidents Benigno II and, upon his death, wife Corazon Aquino, was sworn
in as president.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Philippines
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Philippines claims sovereignty over Scarborough Reef (also claimed by China together with Taiwan) and over certain of the Spratly
Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally
binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines,
and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to
Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney
to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau.
Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally
binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines,
and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to
Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney
to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
IDPs: 300,000 (fighting between government troops and MILF and Abu Sayyaf groups) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent years despite government crackdowns; major
consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited.
consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Philippines
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
The Philippines, with a population of 92 million, is a multiparty republic with an elected president and bicameral legislature. In 2007
approximately 73 percent of registered citizens voted in mid-term elections for both houses of congress and provincial and local
governments. The election generally was free and fair but was marred by violence and allegations of vote buying and electoral fraud.
Long-running Communist and separatist insurgencies affected the country. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of
the security forces; however, there were some instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently.
In addition to killing soldiers and police officers in armed encounters, the New People's Army (NPA)--the military wing of the
Communist Party--and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) killed local government officials and other civilians. The terrorist groups NPA and
ASG reportedly used child soldiers in combat or auxiliary roles. Terrorist groups committed bombings causing civilian casualties and
conducted kidnappings for ransom.
Click here to read more »
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
The Philippines, with a population of 92 million, is a multiparty republic with an elected president and bicameral legislature. In 2007
approximately 73 percent of registered citizens voted in mid-term elections for both houses of congress and provincial and local
governments. The election generally was free and fair but was marred by violence and allegations of vote buying and electoral fraud.
Long-running Communist and separatist insurgencies affected the country. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of
the security forces; however, there were some instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently.
- Arbitrary, unlawful, and extrajudicial killings by elements of the security services and political killings, including killings of
journalists, by a variety of actors continued to be major problems. - Concerns about impunity persisted.
- Members of the security services committed acts of physical and psychological abuse on suspects and detainees, and there were
instances of torture. - Prisoners awaiting trial and those already convicted were often held under primitive conditions.
- Disappearances occurred, and arbitrary or warrantless arrests and detentions were common.
- Trials were delayed, and procedures were prolonged.
- Corruption was endemic.
- Leftist and human rights activists often were subject to harassment by local security forces.
- Problems such as violence against women, abuse of children, child prostitution, trafficking in persons, child labor, and ineffective
enforcement of worker rights were common.
In addition to killing soldiers and police officers in armed encounters, the New People's Army (NPA)--the military wing of the
Communist Party--and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) killed local government officials and other civilians. The terrorist groups NPA and
ASG reportedly used child soldiers in combat or auxiliary roles. Terrorist groups committed bombings causing civilian casualties and
conducted kidnappings for ransom.
Click here to read more »
2 October 2009
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Fifty-second session
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations: The Philippines
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third and fourth combined periodic report, which followed the guidelines for
reporting, as well as the written replies to its List of issues (CRC/C/PHL/Q/3-4/Add.1) which allowed for a better understanding of the
situation of children in the Philippines.
3. The Committee appreciates the open and constructive dialogue with the high-level delegation of the State party, which included
experts from various ministries.
B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party
5. The Committee welcomes a number of positive developments in the reporting period, aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of
children, including:
(a) The enactment, in August 2009, of the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act 9710);
(b) The adoption, in 2006, of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (Republic Act 9344) which establishes a comprehensive juvenile
justice and welfare system and creates the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council under the Department of Justice, and of its
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR);
C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention
7. The Committee is aware that the Philippines is an archipelagic state and that this, coupled with the fact that it is particularly prone to
natural disasters, in particular typhoons, create objective difficulties and challenges to implementing adequate programmes and services
for children, especially for those living in rural and remote areas.
8. The Committee regrets the fact that decades of armed conflict, localised in the South of the Philippines in Mindanao, have had and
continue to have a negative impact on the overall human rights situation in the State party, including on the realisation of the rights of the
child.
D. Main areas of concern and recommendations
1. General measures of implementation
(arts. 4, 42 and 44, paragraph 6 of the Convention)
The Committee’s previous recommendations
9. The Committee notes with satisfaction that certain concerns and recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.259) expressed after the
consideration of the second periodic report of the State party in 2005 have been addressed, in particular with regard to administration of
juvenile justice. However, it regrets that many of its recommendations have been insufficiently or only partly addressed.
10. The Committee urges the State party to make every effort to address the previous recommendations that have been partly,
insufficiently or not implemented at all, including those relating to the minimum age of sexual consent, discrimination against children
born out of wedlock, child pornography, the prohibition of torture and the prohibition of corporal punishment and other forms of
violence in the home, schools, in public and private institutions and in the alternative care system. The Committee also urges the State
party to provide adequate follow-up to the recommendations contained in the present concluding observations in its next periodic report.
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COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Fifty-second session
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations: The Philippines
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third and fourth combined periodic report, which followed the guidelines for
reporting, as well as the written replies to its List of issues (CRC/C/PHL/Q/3-4/Add.1) which allowed for a better understanding of the
situation of children in the Philippines.
3. The Committee appreciates the open and constructive dialogue with the high-level delegation of the State party, which included
experts from various ministries.
B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party
5. The Committee welcomes a number of positive developments in the reporting period, aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of
children, including:
(a) The enactment, in August 2009, of the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act 9710);
(b) The adoption, in 2006, of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (Republic Act 9344) which establishes a comprehensive juvenile
justice and welfare system and creates the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council under the Department of Justice, and of its
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR);
C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention
7. The Committee is aware that the Philippines is an archipelagic state and that this, coupled with the fact that it is particularly prone to
natural disasters, in particular typhoons, create objective difficulties and challenges to implementing adequate programmes and services
for children, especially for those living in rural and remote areas.
8. The Committee regrets the fact that decades of armed conflict, localised in the South of the Philippines in Mindanao, have had and
continue to have a negative impact on the overall human rights situation in the State party, including on the realisation of the rights of the
child.
D. Main areas of concern and recommendations
1. General measures of implementation
(arts. 4, 42 and 44, paragraph 6 of the Convention)
The Committee’s previous recommendations
9. The Committee notes with satisfaction that certain concerns and recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.259) expressed after the
consideration of the second periodic report of the State party in 2005 have been addressed, in particular with regard to administration of
juvenile justice. However, it regrets that many of its recommendations have been insufficiently or only partly addressed.
10. The Committee urges the State party to make every effort to address the previous recommendations that have been partly,
insufficiently or not implemented at all, including those relating to the minimum age of sexual consent, discrimination against children
born out of wedlock, child pornography, the prohibition of torture and the prohibition of corporal punishment and other forms of
violence in the home, schools, in public and private institutions and in the alternative care system. The Committee also urges the State
party to provide adequate follow-up to the recommendations contained in the present concluding observations in its next periodic report.
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Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 4
Civil Liberties Score: 3
Status: Partly Free
Trend Arrow
The Philippines received a downward trend arrow due to a general decline in the rule of law in the greater Mindanao region,
and specifically the massacre of 57 civilians on their way to register a candidate for upcoming elections.
Overview
Political maneuvering escalated in 2009 as potential candidates prepared for the 2010 presidential election. Meanwhile, the administration
remained unsuccessful in its long-standing efforts to amend the constitution and resolve the country’s Muslim and leftist insurgencies. In
November, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared martial law in the southern province of Maguindanao after 57 people were
massacred in an apparent bid by the area’s dominant clan to prevent the electoral registration of a rival candidate.
Attempting to demonstrate progress before the end of Arroyo’s term, the administration changed its approach to the country’s long-
standing insurgencies in 2009. It dropped preconditions for negotiations with the NPA, and the communist rebels did the same, but
peace talks scheduled for September failed to get off the ground. The government also sought to resume negotiations with the MILF,
ordering a suspension of military operations in July. Both sides then agreed to a truce based in part on recognition of the August 2008
agreement as unsigned but “initialed.” In addition, they arranged to establish an international contact group that would include
representatives of the European Union, Turkey, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Peace negotiations resumed in
December with talks held in Kuala Lumpur, and joint ceasefire mechanisms were reactivated.
In the worst case of political violence in the country’s recent history, the wife of local vice-mayor Ismail Mangudadatu was ambushed
by 100 armed men in November 2009 while traveling with other family members and supporters to file her husband’s candidacy for the
Maguindanao provincial governorship. A total of 57 people were massacred in the incident, including 29 journalists and 3 media workers
who were accompanying the unarmed group. The graves in which the bodies were found appeared to have been dug in advance, and the
mutilation of female victims indicated sexual assault. Evidence soon emerged to implicate the Ampatuan clan, which dominated the
province’s politics and was closely allied with the Arroyo administration.
Arroyo responded in early December by declaring martial law for the first time in nearly 30 years. The declaration, which applied to
Maguindanao province only, entailed the suspension of habeas corpus and other rights, invoking significant criticism; the administration
justified the move by arguing that the Ampatuans were fomenting rebellion. A state of emergency was declared in three Mindanao
provinces immediately following the massacre, which remained even after martial law was lifted in mid-December. At least 62 people
were arrested, including Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and the authorities dug up arms caches as part of a broad effort to
weaken local clans. Nevertheless, the Arroyo administration was widely criticized for its longtime policy of tolerating local warlords and
supporting clan patronage as part of its counterinsurgency strategy, and the massacre brought new international attention the country’s
deeply entrenched culture of impunity. Arroyo lifted martial law on December 12 just before a joint session of Congress was due to vote
on the declaration, as the Senate had already registered opposition.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 4
Civil Liberties Score: 3
Status: Partly Free
Trend Arrow
The Philippines received a downward trend arrow due to a general decline in the rule of law in the greater Mindanao region,
and specifically the massacre of 57 civilians on their way to register a candidate for upcoming elections.
Overview
Political maneuvering escalated in 2009 as potential candidates prepared for the 2010 presidential election. Meanwhile, the administration
remained unsuccessful in its long-standing efforts to amend the constitution and resolve the country’s Muslim and leftist insurgencies. In
November, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared martial law in the southern province of Maguindanao after 57 people were
massacred in an apparent bid by the area’s dominant clan to prevent the electoral registration of a rival candidate.
Attempting to demonstrate progress before the end of Arroyo’s term, the administration changed its approach to the country’s long-
standing insurgencies in 2009. It dropped preconditions for negotiations with the NPA, and the communist rebels did the same, but
peace talks scheduled for September failed to get off the ground. The government also sought to resume negotiations with the MILF,
ordering a suspension of military operations in July. Both sides then agreed to a truce based in part on recognition of the August 2008
agreement as unsigned but “initialed.” In addition, they arranged to establish an international contact group that would include
representatives of the European Union, Turkey, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Peace negotiations resumed in
December with talks held in Kuala Lumpur, and joint ceasefire mechanisms were reactivated.
In the worst case of political violence in the country’s recent history, the wife of local vice-mayor Ismail Mangudadatu was ambushed
by 100 armed men in November 2009 while traveling with other family members and supporters to file her husband’s candidacy for the
Maguindanao provincial governorship. A total of 57 people were massacred in the incident, including 29 journalists and 3 media workers
who were accompanying the unarmed group. The graves in which the bodies were found appeared to have been dug in advance, and the
mutilation of female victims indicated sexual assault. Evidence soon emerged to implicate the Ampatuan clan, which dominated the
province’s politics and was closely allied with the Arroyo administration.
Arroyo responded in early December by declaring martial law for the first time in nearly 30 years. The declaration, which applied to
Maguindanao province only, entailed the suspension of habeas corpus and other rights, invoking significant criticism; the administration
justified the move by arguing that the Ampatuans were fomenting rebellion. A state of emergency was declared in three Mindanao
provinces immediately following the massacre, which remained even after martial law was lifted in mid-December. At least 62 people
were arrested, including Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and the authorities dug up arms caches as part of a broad effort to
weaken local clans. Nevertheless, the Arroyo administration was widely criticized for its longtime policy of tolerating local warlords and
supporting clan patronage as part of its counterinsurgency strategy, and the massacre brought new international attention the country’s
deeply entrenched culture of impunity. Arroyo lifted martial law on December 12 just before a joint session of Congress was due to vote
on the declaration, as the Senate had already registered opposition.
Click here to read more »
Philippines: Justice still not served one year after massacre
22 November 2010
Amnesty International today called on the Philippine authorities to ensure timely justice for the Maguindanao massacre, and to abolish the
private armies that continue to operate one year after the killings.
On 23 November 2009, at least 57 people were abducted and brutally killed and their bodies dumped in a mass grave on a hillside above
the town of Ampatuan in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao. Those killed included 32 journalists.
“How the Philippine government handles this case will demonstrate how serious President Aquino is about reining in private armies and
curbing human rights violations,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Programme Director.
“The government has to show that the Philippines has the ability and will to deal fairly but resolutely with a massacre that constituted the
worst ever attack on journalists anywhere in the world.”
Those killed had been travelling in a convoy to witness the filing of candidacy papers for a local politician when they were stopped by a
group of about 100 armed men. The ambush was motivated by a long-standing political feud between members of the group and the
Ampatuan clan.
Leading members of the powerful local Ampatuan clan have since been charged in connection with the killings, however the trials have
been marked by delays and no prosecutions have been concluded.
Former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and his sons Andal Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy Amapatuan are on trial for the killings.
Of the other nearly 200 people implicated in the killings, news sources report that 82 have been detained, and another 114, including
private militia members, clan members and police and government soldiers, remain at large.
The Maguindano trials have been marked by delays and judicial wrangling. Earlier this month Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she
would accelerate the proceedings, but admitted that the trials could take six more years.
One year after the massacre, other private armies continue to operate in the Philippines under Executive Order 546, which former
President Gloria Arroyo signed and implemented in 2006. This order effectively authorizes private armies by allowing the Philippine
National Police to deputize militias and Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVOs) as “force multipliers”.
Many members of Governor Andal Ampatuan’s private army are part of CVOs, which the government had established and armed. The
system of authorization for armed groups which are then used as private armies remains intact.
Click here to read more »
22 November 2010
Amnesty International today called on the Philippine authorities to ensure timely justice for the Maguindanao massacre, and to abolish the
private armies that continue to operate one year after the killings.
On 23 November 2009, at least 57 people were abducted and brutally killed and their bodies dumped in a mass grave on a hillside above
the town of Ampatuan in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao. Those killed included 32 journalists.
“How the Philippine government handles this case will demonstrate how serious President Aquino is about reining in private armies and
curbing human rights violations,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Programme Director.
“The government has to show that the Philippines has the ability and will to deal fairly but resolutely with a massacre that constituted the
worst ever attack on journalists anywhere in the world.”
Those killed had been travelling in a convoy to witness the filing of candidacy papers for a local politician when they were stopped by a
group of about 100 armed men. The ambush was motivated by a long-standing political feud between members of the group and the
Ampatuan clan.
Leading members of the powerful local Ampatuan clan have since been charged in connection with the killings, however the trials have
been marked by delays and no prosecutions have been concluded.
Former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and his sons Andal Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy Amapatuan are on trial for the killings.
Of the other nearly 200 people implicated in the killings, news sources report that 82 have been detained, and another 114, including
private militia members, clan members and police and government soldiers, remain at large.
The Maguindano trials have been marked by delays and judicial wrangling. Earlier this month Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she
would accelerate the proceedings, but admitted that the trials could take six more years.
One year after the massacre, other private armies continue to operate in the Philippines under Executive Order 546, which former
President Gloria Arroyo signed and implemented in 2006. This order effectively authorizes private armies by allowing the Philippine
National Police to deputize militias and Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVOs) as “force multipliers”.
Many members of Governor Andal Ampatuan’s private army are part of CVOs, which the government had established and armed. The
system of authorization for armed groups which are then used as private armies remains intact.
Click here to read more »
Philippines: Local Ruling Family’s Abuses Implicate Government
One Year After Massacre, Aquino Should Ban Militias, Investigate Private Armies
November 16, 2010
(Manila) - A ruling family in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao committed killings and other abuses over two decades with the
support of government security forces and officials, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. One year after the massacre of
58 people in Maguindanao province attributed to the Ampatuan family and their "private army" on November 23, 2009, the Philippine
government has failed to seriously investigate atrocities by powerful ruling families, ban abusive militia forces, or curtail access of
officials to military weaponry.
The 96-page report, "‘They Own the People': The Ampatuans, State-Backed Militias, and Killings in the Southern Philippines," charts the
Ampatuans' rise to power, including their use of violence to expand their control and eliminate threats to the family's rule. It is based on
more than 80 interviews, including with people having insider knowledge of the Ampatuan family security structure, victims of abuses
and their family members, and witnesses to crimes.
"The Maguindanao massacre was not an aberration, but the foreseeable consequence of unchecked killings and other serious abuses,"
said James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch. "For two decades the Ampatuans committed atrocities with a ‘private
army' manned by police and soldiers carrying government-supplied weapons."
Following the November 2009 massacre, Human Rights Watch travelled to Mindanao and investigated numerous abuses implicating the
Ampatuans, including more than 50 incidents of killings, torture, sexual assault, and abductions. These cases show often unrestrained
brutality, such as the torture and killing by chainsaw of individuals suspected to be involved in a bomb attack against an Ampatuan family
member in 2002.
The report details how the military and police provided the Ampatuan family with manpower, modern military weapons, and protection
from prosecution. Most members of their private army were also members of the police, military, or state-sanctioned paramilitary
forces, including Civilian Volunteer Organizations and the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units (CAFGUs).
The Ampatuans' rise and expansion was aided by the president at the time of the massacre, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who relied on the
family for crucial votes and for support in the protracted armed conflict with Moro armed groups in Mindanao. Under the Arroyo
administration, militia forces, which have a long history of human rights violations in the Philippines, were greatly strengthened because
of the increased sale of military weaponry to local officials and other support. The administration also failed to address impunity for
serious rights abuses: in 2002 Arroyo was directly notified of 33 killings allegedly perpetrated by the Ampatuans, but she took no
apparent action.
Click here to read more »
One Year After Massacre, Aquino Should Ban Militias, Investigate Private Armies
November 16, 2010
(Manila) - A ruling family in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao committed killings and other abuses over two decades with the
support of government security forces and officials, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. One year after the massacre of
58 people in Maguindanao province attributed to the Ampatuan family and their "private army" on November 23, 2009, the Philippine
government has failed to seriously investigate atrocities by powerful ruling families, ban abusive militia forces, or curtail access of
officials to military weaponry.
The 96-page report, "‘They Own the People': The Ampatuans, State-Backed Militias, and Killings in the Southern Philippines," charts the
Ampatuans' rise to power, including their use of violence to expand their control and eliminate threats to the family's rule. It is based on
more than 80 interviews, including with people having insider knowledge of the Ampatuan family security structure, victims of abuses
and their family members, and witnesses to crimes.
"The Maguindanao massacre was not an aberration, but the foreseeable consequence of unchecked killings and other serious abuses,"
said James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch. "For two decades the Ampatuans committed atrocities with a ‘private
army' manned by police and soldiers carrying government-supplied weapons."
Following the November 2009 massacre, Human Rights Watch travelled to Mindanao and investigated numerous abuses implicating the
Ampatuans, including more than 50 incidents of killings, torture, sexual assault, and abductions. These cases show often unrestrained
brutality, such as the torture and killing by chainsaw of individuals suspected to be involved in a bomb attack against an Ampatuan family
member in 2002.
The report details how the military and police provided the Ampatuan family with manpower, modern military weapons, and protection
from prosecution. Most members of their private army were also members of the police, military, or state-sanctioned paramilitary
forces, including Civilian Volunteer Organizations and the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units (CAFGUs).
The Ampatuans' rise and expansion was aided by the president at the time of the massacre, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who relied on the
family for crucial votes and for support in the protracted armed conflict with Moro armed groups in Mindanao. Under the Arroyo
administration, militia forces, which have a long history of human rights violations in the Philippines, were greatly strengthened because
of the increased sale of military weaponry to local officials and other support. The administration also failed to address impunity for
serious rights abuses: in 2002 Arroyo was directly notified of 33 killings allegedly perpetrated by the Ampatuans, but she took no
apparent action.
Click here to read more »
Philippine Statement
by Ms. Myrna T. Yao,
Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Women,
at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women delivered on 02 March 2010
Distinguished Chairperson,
Fifteen years have passed and here we are again, joined together by our commitment to uphold women’s rights and promote women’s
welfare, equality, participation and empowerment. We are gathered here today to celebrate the gains we have achieved and renew our
commitment to eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against women that continue to exist.
The Philippines stands proud of its gains. It recently enacted into law The Magna Carta of Women, This highlights the Philippines 15
years of dedicated implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session. This
comprehensive women’s human rights legislation is the national translation into law of the CEDAW, and enshrines the rights-based
approach and guarantees access to effective remedies with the Philippines Commission on Human Rights acting as gender ombudsman.
The Philippines has made progress to eradicate violence against women by enacting laws to combat sexual harassment, rape, trafficking
in persons, and domestic violence with the coordinated efforts of government and NGOs. Inter-agency councils against trafficking in
persons and against violence against women ensure that the landmark laws are effectively implemented. Performance standards and
assessment tools on gender-responsive handling of women victims have been developed for the police, prosecutors, social workers,
health workers and village officials. Thus, the number of VAW cases reported to the police increased six-fold from 1,100 cases in 1996
to over 9,132 in 2001.
Seven years into the implementation of the anti-trafficking in persons law has resulted in 287 persons rescued by the police and 709
persons arrested. In 2008, the social welfare department has provided protection and assistance to 632 women and children. Although
160 cases had been received for prosecution by the justice department, only 13 convictions have been made. The Department of Foreign
Affairs has assisted and repatriated 315 cases of human trafficking.
In education, female enrolment in traditionally male-dominated disciplines such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, veterinary medicine,
math, computer science and military has steadily increased. Women scholars outnumber men. Data on scholarship assistance of
education department to deserving indigenous youths for all school levels shows that 50.7 % of over 49.2% beneficiaries are females.
Click here to read more »
by Ms. Myrna T. Yao,
Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Women,
at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women delivered on 02 March 2010
Distinguished Chairperson,
Fifteen years have passed and here we are again, joined together by our commitment to uphold women’s rights and promote women’s
welfare, equality, participation and empowerment. We are gathered here today to celebrate the gains we have achieved and renew our
commitment to eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against women that continue to exist.
The Philippines stands proud of its gains. It recently enacted into law The Magna Carta of Women, This highlights the Philippines 15
years of dedicated implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session. This
comprehensive women’s human rights legislation is the national translation into law of the CEDAW, and enshrines the rights-based
approach and guarantees access to effective remedies with the Philippines Commission on Human Rights acting as gender ombudsman.
The Philippines has made progress to eradicate violence against women by enacting laws to combat sexual harassment, rape, trafficking
in persons, and domestic violence with the coordinated efforts of government and NGOs. Inter-agency councils against trafficking in
persons and against violence against women ensure that the landmark laws are effectively implemented. Performance standards and
assessment tools on gender-responsive handling of women victims have been developed for the police, prosecutors, social workers,
health workers and village officials. Thus, the number of VAW cases reported to the police increased six-fold from 1,100 cases in 1996
to over 9,132 in 2001.
Seven years into the implementation of the anti-trafficking in persons law has resulted in 287 persons rescued by the police and 709
persons arrested. In 2008, the social welfare department has provided protection and assistance to 632 women and children. Although
160 cases had been received for prosecution by the justice department, only 13 convictions have been made. The Department of Foreign
Affairs has assisted and repatriated 315 cases of human trafficking.
In education, female enrolment in traditionally male-dominated disciplines such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, veterinary medicine,
math, computer science and military has steadily increased. Women scholars outnumber men. Data on scholarship assistance of
education department to deserving indigenous youths for all school levels shows that 50.7 % of over 49.2% beneficiaries are females.
Click here to read more »
City accountant, labor officer preventively suspended
PRESS RELEASE
21 November 2010
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of a city accountant and a labor officer pending the investigation of
charges filed against them.
Preventively suspended for six months were Marilou Calugay Tanael, City Accountant II of Parañaque City; and Erlinda P. Villegas,
Chief Labor Employment Officer of the Department of Labor and Employment Region IV-B.
Tanael has been charged with serious dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for
allegedly amassing wealth beyond her means.
In the complaint filed by the Office’s Field Investigation Office, it was alleged that Calugay held the following positions in government:
Municipal Government Department Head II from November, 1994 to May, 1999, with a monthly salary of P12,085 to P19,218; and City
Accountant II from June, 1999 to February, 2007, with a monthly salary of P21,213 to P26,118.
Calugay, however, allegedly amassed wealth amounting to P3,897,554.57 from 1996 to 2006, which is manifestly disproportionate to
her lawful income. In addition, she reportedly failed to file her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for the years
1994, 1997 and 1998.
In a five-page Order, the Office of the Ombudsman granted the FIO’s motion to place Calugay under preventive suspension,
“considering that the preliminary evidence of guilt of respondent is strong and the acts complained of, if proven true, would constitute
the administrative offense of Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct and would warrant her dismissal from the service”.
Villegas, on the other hand, was preventively suspended after she was charged with Gross Insubordination, Conduct Prejudicial to the
Best Interest of the Service, Grave Misconduct, Dishonesty and other violations of the Civil Service Law and Rules and Regulations by
the Resident Ombudsman of DOLE.
The charges stemmed from an anonymous complaint investigated by the RO-DOLE, which alleged that Villegas handwrote all her noon
entries in her daily time records (DTRs) from March 2005 to September 2006 and for May 2007, disregarding a memoranda issued by
her supervisors requiring the use of bundy clock during lunchtime.
It was also alleged that Villegas went abroad on four different occasions from 2005 to 2006 without securing authority to travel, and
even indicated in her DTRs that she was present in office during such unauthorized trips.
Click here to read more »
PRESS RELEASE
21 November 2010
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of a city accountant and a labor officer pending the investigation of
charges filed against them.
Preventively suspended for six months were Marilou Calugay Tanael, City Accountant II of Parañaque City; and Erlinda P. Villegas,
Chief Labor Employment Officer of the Department of Labor and Employment Region IV-B.
Tanael has been charged with serious dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for
allegedly amassing wealth beyond her means.
In the complaint filed by the Office’s Field Investigation Office, it was alleged that Calugay held the following positions in government:
Municipal Government Department Head II from November, 1994 to May, 1999, with a monthly salary of P12,085 to P19,218; and City
Accountant II from June, 1999 to February, 2007, with a monthly salary of P21,213 to P26,118.
Calugay, however, allegedly amassed wealth amounting to P3,897,554.57 from 1996 to 2006, which is manifestly disproportionate to
her lawful income. In addition, she reportedly failed to file her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for the years
1994, 1997 and 1998.
In a five-page Order, the Office of the Ombudsman granted the FIO’s motion to place Calugay under preventive suspension,
“considering that the preliminary evidence of guilt of respondent is strong and the acts complained of, if proven true, would constitute
the administrative offense of Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct and would warrant her dismissal from the service”.
Villegas, on the other hand, was preventively suspended after she was charged with Gross Insubordination, Conduct Prejudicial to the
Best Interest of the Service, Grave Misconduct, Dishonesty and other violations of the Civil Service Law and Rules and Regulations by
the Resident Ombudsman of DOLE.
The charges stemmed from an anonymous complaint investigated by the RO-DOLE, which alleged that Villegas handwrote all her noon
entries in her daily time records (DTRs) from March 2005 to September 2006 and for May 2007, disregarding a memoranda issued by
her supervisors requiring the use of bundy clock during lunchtime.
It was also alleged that Villegas went abroad on four different occasions from 2005 to 2006 without securing authority to travel, and
even indicated in her DTRs that she was present in office during such unauthorized trips.
Click here to read more »
Member of a Local Farmers’ Association gunned down in Balayan, Batangas, Philippines
submitted on Mon, 11/22/2010
On 7 November 2010, between 7:00 – 8:00 in the morning, Ireneo M. Rodriguez (“Rene” to his friends) was riding his motorcycle on
his way to the town of Balayan to visit his children who were staying with his in-laws. As he was traversing the National Highway, two
men on board a motorcycle overtook his motorcycle and shot him using a .45 caliber pistol. The driver of the motorcycle was wearing
a helmet, while the back-rider who shot the victim covered his face with a white handkerchief.
Rene fell to the ground not far from the barangay hall of Brgy. Caybunga sustaining gunshot wounds to his head, back, chest and thigh.
The perpetrators turned back to where Rene fell down and shot him again to ensure his death. Then, they sped towards the direction of
Balayan.
The day before the incident, Rene was at the house of his in-laws to visit his children when they noticed a tricycle parked near the
house; on board the tricycle were two men armed with handguns.
On 3 November, unidentified elements of the Philippine Air Force went to the house of Rene's parents in Sitio Baloc-baloc, Brgy. Cahil in
the town of Calaca also in Batangas, looking for the victim.
It can be recalled that Rene was included in the Order of Battle (OB) list of the military in 2006. During this time, he was illegally
arrested by combined elements of the Philippine Air Force and Balayan Philippine National Police (PNP). He was detained at the Balayan
PNP but was released after two days with no charges filed against him.
Recommended action:
Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
1. The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights
groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into assassination of Ireneo M. Rodriguez.
2. The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and
“enemies of the state.”
3. The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch).
4. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a
party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.
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submitted on Mon, 11/22/2010
On 7 November 2010, between 7:00 – 8:00 in the morning, Ireneo M. Rodriguez (“Rene” to his friends) was riding his motorcycle on
his way to the town of Balayan to visit his children who were staying with his in-laws. As he was traversing the National Highway, two
men on board a motorcycle overtook his motorcycle and shot him using a .45 caliber pistol. The driver of the motorcycle was wearing
a helmet, while the back-rider who shot the victim covered his face with a white handkerchief.
Rene fell to the ground not far from the barangay hall of Brgy. Caybunga sustaining gunshot wounds to his head, back, chest and thigh.
The perpetrators turned back to where Rene fell down and shot him again to ensure his death. Then, they sped towards the direction of
Balayan.
The day before the incident, Rene was at the house of his in-laws to visit his children when they noticed a tricycle parked near the
house; on board the tricycle were two men armed with handguns.
On 3 November, unidentified elements of the Philippine Air Force went to the house of Rene's parents in Sitio Baloc-baloc, Brgy. Cahil in
the town of Calaca also in Batangas, looking for the victim.
It can be recalled that Rene was included in the Order of Battle (OB) list of the military in 2006. During this time, he was illegally
arrested by combined elements of the Philippine Air Force and Balayan Philippine National Police (PNP). He was detained at the Balayan
PNP but was released after two days with no charges filed against him.
Recommended action:
Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
1. The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights
groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into assassination of Ireneo M. Rodriguez.
2. The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and
“enemies of the state.”
3. The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch).
4. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a
party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.
Click here to read more>>
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Benigno Aquino III
President since 30 June 2010
President since 30 June 2010
Jejomar Binay
Vice President since 30 June 2010
Vice President since 30 June 2010
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
