Human Rights
everywhere regardless of race,
Definition
 are generally defined as those rights
which are inherent in our nature and
without which we cannot live as human
beings
 are basic rights of a person simply
because s/he is a human being
 are the supreme, inherent, and
inalienable, rights to life, dignity, and to
self-development   transferred, taken away, lost or
 it is the essence of these rights that
makes men/women human
 a set of guarantees for humans not only to
exist but also live with all the necessary
conditions that befit a rational being 
 serve as a foundation of a life of dignity.
They are birthrights that every person is
entitled to by virtue of being human  [civil/political/economic/cultural]
 are normative standards/guideposts by
which States are to conduct themselves
when relating to their constituents  person as a human being, thus
 are basic standards without which people
cannot live in dignity, the totality of human
rights which makes a person whole
To violate someone’s human rights is to treat that
person as though s/he is not a human being
To advocate for human rights is to demand that
the human dignity of all people be respected.
The idea of human rights introduces the idea of
justice and fairness in the natural order of the
world, thereby giving human existence a higher
sense and purpose.
In claiming these human rights, everyone also
accepts the responsibility not to violate the rights
of others and to support those whose rights are
abused or violated.  is dependent on the enjoyment of
Basic Principles
1. Human rights are inherent
 They are innate and inborn in every
person
 They are not granted by any authority
 They are a birthright of all human beings
2. Human rights are universal
o They belong to every human being
color, age, sex, language, religion,
class, political belief, or social
origin
o They are not dependent on one’s
origin, race, status, education or
place where one lives
 3. Human rights are inalienable
o They cannot be separated,
surrendered regardless of who or
what the person does
  4. Human rights are indivisible
o All human rights
are co-equal and important. They
are entitlements to the totality of a
cannot be divided into parts even
when other rights have already
been enjoyed
 5. Human rights are equal and non-
discriminatory
o Human beings are born equal in
dignity and rights. And that all
human beings have to be treated
with equal concern and respect
6. Human rights are interrelated and
interdependent
o Human rights are mutually
dependent and exist in a reciprocal
relationship. The enjoyment of one
other rights. The fulfillment or
exercise of one cannot be had
without the others 
7. Human rights are imprescriptible
o They do not have a time limit; no
expiration 
Dehumanization
Dehumanization refers in the most basic terms to
the denial, in part or whole, of the humanity of a
person or group of persons. To perceive of or
treat someone as less human, not fully human, or
subhuman is an act of dehumanization
Degrees of dehumanization
1. Extreme - occurring in instances of, for
example, genocide and torture
2. Mild - occurring in everyday structures of
social, political and economic
marginalization, where ambiguities about
what might constitute inhuman or
dehumanizing treatment are most likely to
arise
Qualities violated that perceive a person as fully
human
Dehumanization is a violation of the two qualities
that must be accorded to a person in order to
perceive him/her as fully human: identity and
community (Herbert C. Kelman, 1973). To accord
a person identity, he writes, “is to perceive him as
an individual, independent and distinguishable
from others, capable of making choices”. To be
dehumanized is to be excluded from this
community. It is to be perceived by the “in-group”
as outside the moral kinship or scope of justice,
and thus as a legitimate target for more active
oppressions and exclusions. This, claims Kelman,
is what makes sanctioned massacres and mass
human atrocities possible.  established through everyday prejudice and
Dehumanization results to 
 acting inhumanly towards the excluded, or
else to allow harm to be done to them by
others, without invoking any sense of
moral inhibition or self-reproach.  oppressions and exclusions. This, claims Kelman,
 perceiving others as less human than
ourselves increases the opportunities for
moral disengagement or indifference
(Bandura et al. 1975, 1996).  possible to act inhumanly towards them, or else
 perceiving those outsides [our scope of
justice] as nonentities, undeserving, or
expendable. Harm that befalls them does
not prompt the concern, remorse, or
outrage that occurs when those inside the
scope of justice are harmed (Susan
Opotow).
 the process by which human beings are
rendered so radically other that it
becomes possible for their persecutors to
commit murder on a mass scale, and for
bystanders to stand by without objection
or remorse. For this all the humiliations,
defamations, starvations, degradations:
the provision of a “false motive” (Scarry
1985) to the perpetrators of genocide,
torture, and other gross atrocities. 
 the dehumanized, the misrecognized
being killed with impunity because,
already in exile from the moral community,
his life counts for nothing (Agamben 1998:
71–115).
 a form of displacement or projection: in
psychological terms, the projection of
disapproved aspects of the self onto
others, through whom the unwanted
elements are attacked or expelled
(Deutsch 2000: 51).
 providing a scapegoat upon whom to
place the responsibility for economic
hardship or political strife. The excluded
group may be perceived as a threat (thus
during the Rwandan genocide it was
claimed that Hutus should kill their Tutsi
neighbors in pre-emptive self-defense), or
as inferior in terms of race, ethnicity,
gender, or class, and thus persecuted
because of a fear of contamination, or
because of a perceived deviance from
normalized standards of appearance or
behavior (Morton Deutsch 2000).
Active Strategies of Dehumanization
Labeling, which occurs not only in extreme cases
but also in the everyday. As Kelman notes, the
“traditions, the habits, the images and the
vocabularies for dehumanization are already well
labeling 
To be dehumanized is to be excluded from this
community. It is to be perceived by the “in-group”
as outside the moral kinship or scope of justice,
and thus as a legitimate target for more active
is what makes sanctioned massacres and mass
human atrocities possible. By excluding a person
or persons from our moral community, it becomes
to allow harm to be done to them by others,
without invoking any sense of moral inhibition or
self-reproach. 
Psychological studies have demonstrated the
extent to which perceiving others as less human
than ourselves increases the opportunities for
moral disengagement or indifference (Bandura et
al. 1975, 1996). We perceive those outside [our
scope of justice] as nonentities, undeserving, or
expendable. Harm that befalls them does not
prompt the concern, remorse, or outrage that
occurs when those inside the scope of justice are
harmed. (Opotow 1995: 347–348)
Dehumanization, then, is the process by which
human beings are rendered so radically other that
it becomes possible for their persecutors to
commit murder on a mass scale, and for
bystanders to stand by without objection or
remorse. For this all the humiliations,
defamations, starvations, degradations: the
provision of a “false motive” (Scarry 1985) to the
perpetrators of genocide, torture, and other gross
atrocities. Like Agamben’s “Homo Sacer,” the
dehumanized, the misrecognized, is one who can
be killed with impunity because, already in exile
from the moral community, his life counts for
nothing (Agamben 1998: 71–115).
Categories of Human Rights:
1. According to sources
1. Natural rights
Rights inherent to everyone, given by God to
every human being 
2. Constitutional rights  rights that concern the production,
Constitutional rights are the protections and
liberties guaranteed to the people by
the  Philippine Constitution such as the Bill of
Rights (Article III, Sections 1-22). 
3. Statutory rights
Rights provided by the law-making body of a
country or by law
 According to recipient
1. Individual rights – are those rights being
accorded to individuals. These are the
civil, political, social, economic and
cultural rights
2. Collective rights – are rights of society that
can be enjoyed only in company with
others. Sometimes referred to as third
generation right. These rights recognize
that people have the right to live in a safe
and healthy environment and that the
groups have the right to development e.g.
rights to peace and development
3. According to aspects of life
1. Civil and Political Rights – the rights of
citizens to liberty and equality. Sometimes
referred to as first generation rights. 
Civil Rights – law accords to private individuals
for the purpose of securing the enjoyment of their
means and happiness
Political Rights – enable to participate in the
affairs of the government
e.g. right to life, freedom from torture or cruel
treatment, freedom from slavery, right to liberty
and security of persons, freedom of movement,
right to equality before the law, rights of accused
persons, rights against retroactive penal laws,
right to recognition as a person before the law,
right to privacy, freedom of thought, conscience,
and religion, freedom of opinion and expression,
right to international peace and security, right to
peaceful assembly, freedom of association, family
and marriage, right to children, right to citizens,
right of minorities, right to freedom from
discrimination
2. Economic, Social and Cultural Rights –
development and management of
materials for the necessities of life. The
right to preserve and develop one’s
cultural identity. Rights that give people
social and economic security, sometimes
referred to as second generation right
e.g. right to work, right to enjoy just and favorable
condition of work, right to trade unions, right to
social security, marriage and family rights, right to
adequate standard of living, right to health, right
to education, right to culture, arts and science,
right to housing
Four Basic Rights of a Child
Who is a Child?
A person below eighteen (18) years of age or
those over but are unable to fully take of
themselves or protect themselves from abuse,
neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination
because of a physical or mental disability or
condition
1. Survival Rights (i.e. having basic needs)
1. The right to life
2. The right to health care
3. The right to enough food and water
 
2. Protection Rights (i.e. protection from
harmful influence)
 1. The right not to be used as a
cheap worker
2. The right not to be hurt or
neglected
3. The right not to be used as a
soldier in wars  who have easy access to the internet to be
3. Developmental Rights
1. The right to be with their parents or
with those who will care for them
best
2. The right to meet with other
children
3. The right to special care, education
and training, if needed
4. The right to a free primary
education
5. The right to play       information are often the reasons why people
4. Participation Rights (i.e. taking part in the
wider society and having an input to
relevant decisions)
1. The right to a name and a
nationality
2. The right to have a say about
things that affect them
3. The right to have ideas and say
what they think
4. The right to practice their religion
5. The right to get information they
need
6. The right to speak their own
language
7. The right to learn and enjoy about
their own culture
8. The right to know about their rights
and responsibilities    labor.
Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is prevalent in the island of
Mindanao and in cities like Cagayan de Oro.
According to End Child Prostitution and
Trafficking (ECPAT) International and Terre des
Homme, Cagayan de Oro City is not only a transit
zone, but also a recruitment and destination city
for victims of trafficking rings. The Philippine
Police Force also views Cagayan de Oro City as
a hotbed of cyber prostitution using children.
According to the Women and Children Protection
Center – Mindanao Field Unit, incidence of
trafficking in persons in Northern Mindanao is
rising. While prostitution, a traditional form of
Trafficking still subsists in Cagayan de Oro and
Bukidnon, online Sexual Exploitation of Children
involving parents as perpetrators recorded a
significant increase in Lanao del Norte particularly
in Iligan City.
The COVID-19 pandemic pose another threat and
challenge to women and children who are
confined in their homes as they are more
vulnerable to OSAEC and other forms of gender-
based violence. Online predators lure children
victimized and exploited through their social
media platforms. Cagayan de Oro officials have
already imposed certain policies to deter the rise
in number of human trafficking victims in the city.
According to the City Social Welfare and
Development (CSWD), foreign pedophiles are
engaged in new modus wherein they use the
streets for child pornography and other sex-
related activities.
Lack of access to education and protective
become victims of human trafficking. They do not
know the elements, signs, and strategies used by
traffickers. The culprits manipulate the victims by
giving them false information.
Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity
and is rampant in the Philippines, victimizing
women, children and less privileged individuals
and exploiting the trafficked persons to sex
tourism, sex slavery, child prostitution and forced
Human trafficking involves an act of recruiting,
transporting, harboring or receiving a person
through the use of force, coercion, or other
means for the purpose of exploiting them. 
Trafficking in persons is an illegal act and is
considered a violation of human rights and
inimical to human dignity and national
development. There are three (3) inter-related
and interdependent elements that must be
present for a situation to be considered within the
purview of R.A. 9208 as amended by RA 10364. 
Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children
(OSAEC)

Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children
is when one person manipulates a child to get
them to do something sexual - it is an ongoing
cycle of emotional and psychological abuse.
How do I know if I am sexually exploited and
abused online?
It is sexual exploitation and abuse if the person
you are communicating with:
 encourages you to do sexual things that
make you uncomfortable
 sends you unwanted nude photos or
flashes you on webcam
 asks sexual questions about you or makes
inappropriate sexual comments
 exposes you to pornography without your
consent
 encourages you to watch them do sexual
things without your consent
COMMON TERMS AND TACTICS EXPLOITERS
USE TO MANIPULATE PEOPLE:
Grooming
A tactic used by exploiters to gain your trust. They
develop a relationship with you, often using
specific strategies like:  easier for them to commit a sexual offence
 complimenting you over and over e.g. “I’ve
never met anyone as beautiful as you,” or
“I’ve never loved anyone as much as I
love you.”
 Lots of attention and affection
 Lots of kindness
 Gifts  Persistence
 Money
Blackmail
 when someone tries to get you to do
something for them that you do not want
to do by threatening to hurt you. This
includes saying they will release sexual
photos/videos of you unless you do what
they want.
e.g. “I will spread your nude photos all over social
media if you will not date me.”
Boyfriending/Girlfriending
 When an exploiter manipulates you into
thinking you are in a relationship with
them in order to win your trust. If you are
not sure if the relationship you are in is
genuine, look for other signs of
exploitation and abuse or an unhealthy
relationship.
e.g. “Since you are my girlfriend/boyfriend, I want
you to do everything for me even if it hurts you.”
Love Bombing
 when an exploiter gives you an
abundance of compliments and affection
to gain your love and trust.
e.g. “You are really beautiful. Very talented,
smart, and obedient.”
Luring 
 when a person uses online
communication to contact someone they
think is under 18, in order to make it
against that person. It is important to tell a
safe adult (parent/caregiver, teacher,
counsellor, etc) if someone is trying to lure
you online.
 when someone keeps asking you for
something, even when you repeatedly say
‘no”. It is important to not give in and to try
blocking them online if they are not
listening to you. If you agree to send
sexual images, they may be used to
blackmail you in the future.
Using Pity/Guilt or without the victim’s consent or knowledge,
within or across national borders;
 an exploiter may try to make you feel sorry
for them, or guilt about something, in
order  to make it more likely you will do
what they want.
2. MEANS
e.g. “I was waiting for you for an hour and you did
not show up. Can you send me your naked body.” It is committed by use of threat, or of force, or
other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud,
deception, abuse of power or of position, taking
advantage of the vulnerability of the person, or,
Sending Sexually Explicit Material  the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to
achieve the consent of a person having control
 an exploiter may send you unwanted over another person;
sexually explicit material (pornography,
nude photos of the themselves, etc.) and
try to convince you this type of unsolicited
sexual behaviors is acceptable
3. PURPOSE

It is done for the purpose of exploitation or the

Sextortion
prostitution of others or other forms of sexual
exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery,
 when someone uses a sexual photo/video involuntary servitude or the removal or sale of
of you to blackmail or coerce you into organs.
doing what they want. For example, they
may threaten to share a nude or semi-
nude photo of you with your school or post
it online unless you:
o give them money Each of these elements must be present and
o send more sexual photos/videos linked to each other: the act/s must be achieved
o meet them in person by one of the means and both must be linked to
achieving the exploitative purpose. If any one of
Republic Act 9208: Anti-Trafficking in the three (3) elements is absent, then the
Persons Act of 2003 situation may not involve trafficking in persons,
except if it involves trafficking of a child. 
The Republic Act (R.A.) 9208, also known as the
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, institute
policies to eliminate trafficking in persons
especially women and children. It establishes the
The recruitment, transportation, transfer,
necessary institutional mechanisms to protect and
harboring, adoption or receipt of a child for the
support trafficked persons, and provides penalties
purpose of exploitation or when the adoption is
for its violations. In 2012, the R.A. 9208 was
induced by any form of consideration for
amended through the R.A. 10364 also known as
exploitative purposes shall also be considered as
the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
‘trafficking in persons’ even if it does not involve
any of the means mentioned.

Where to report incidence of Trafficking in

Elements of Human Trafficking   Persons? 

Any person who has the personal knowledge on

the trafficking incidence can immediately report to
any of the following: 
1. ACT
• Barangay authorities; 
It involves the recruitment, obtaining, hiring,
providing, offering, transportation, transfer, • Nearest police or other law enforcement
maintaining, harboring, or receipt of persons, with agencies; 
• Local social welfare and development office;   you may also seek assistance directly
from the CSWD/MSWD in assessing the
• Any member agencies of the Inter-Agency needs of your child.    
Council Against Trafficking (IACAT); 

• Local anti-trafficking committee or task force; 

if know any victim of human trafficking 
• Local council for the protection of children; or 
1. If the victim is your classmate or
• 1343 Actionline against Human Trafficking. schoolmate tell your teacher or guidance
counselor
2. Your teacher of guidance counselor
should report the incident to the barangay
Who can file cases for Trafficking in Persons?  3. The barangay should assist the victim in
reporting the incident to the police and the
The following persons may file cases of trafficking City or Municipal Social Welfare and
in persons:  Development Office (CSWD/MSWD)   

• Any person, including a law enforcement officer,

who has personal knowledge of the commission
of the offense;  if you are a parent or teacher of a victim of human
trafficking:
• The trafficked person or the offended party; 
1. Secure the safety of the child and assure
him/her of your presence
• Parents or legal guardians; 
2. Help support your child process their
feelings. Do not blame them or yourself for
• Spouse;  the incident
• Siblings; or  3. You may go to the barangay and report
the incident
• Children.
 the barangay should assist you in
reporting the incident to the Police and the
City or Municipal Social Welfare and
Practical Remedies  Development Office (CSWD/MSWD) or
 go directly to the Police to file blotter or to
report the incident
 you may also seek assistance directly
if you are a victim of human trafficking: from the CSWD/MSWD in assessing the
needs of your child. 
1. Tell your parents unless your parents are
traffickers or  Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 tell someone related to you or The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 tell your teacher or guidance counselor  (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of
human rights. Drafted by representatives with
2. Together with your parents or teacher, you different legal and cultural backgrounds from all
may go to the barangay and report the regions of the world, the Declaration was
incident proclaimed by the United Nations General
Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 General
 the barangay should assist you in Assembly resolution 217 A (III) as a common
reporting the incident to the Police and the standard of achievements for all peoples and all
City or Municipal Social Welfare and nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental
Development Office (CSWD/MSWD) or human rights to be universally protected. 
 go directly to the Police to file blotter or to
report the incident THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement
for all peoples and all nations, to the end that
every individual and every organ of society,
keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall
strive by teaching and education to promote
respect for these rights and freedoms and by
progressive measures, national and international,
to secure their universal and effective recognition
and observance, both among the peoples of
Member States themselves and among the
peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article 1.  without any discrimination to equal protection of
All human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason
and conscience and should act towards one
another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.  Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms
set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of
any kind, such as race, color, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other status.
Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the
basis of the political, jurisdictional or international
status of the country or territory to which a person
belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-
self-governing or under any other limitation of
sovereignty.
Article 3. 
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security
of person.
Article 4. 
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude;
slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in
all their forms.
Article 5. 
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6. 
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere
as a person before the law.
Article 7. 
All are equal before the law and are entitled
the law. All are entitled to equal protection against
any discrimination in violation of this Declaration
and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8. 
the competent national tribunals for acts violating
the fundamental rights granted him by the
constitution or by law.
Article 9. 
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest,
detention or exile.
Article 10. 
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and
public hearing by an independent and impartial
tribunal, in the determination of his rights and
obligations and of any criminal charge against
him.
Article 11. 
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has
the right to be presumed innocent until proved
guilty according to law in a public trial at which he
has had all the guarantees necessary for his
defense. 
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal
offence on account of any act or omission which
did not constitute a penal offence, under national
or international law, at the time when it was
committed nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed
than the one that was applicable at the time the (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone
penal offence was committed. as well as in association with others. 

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his

property.
Article 12. 
Article 18. 
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference
with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,
nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation conscience and religion; this right includes
Everyone has the right to the protection of the law freedom to change his religion or belief, and
against such interference or attacks. freedom, either alone or in community with others
and in public or private, to manifest his religion or
Article 13.  belief in teaching, practice, worship and
observance.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of
movement and residence within the borders of Article 19. 
each state. 
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, expression; this right includes freedom to hold
including his own, and to return to his country. opinions without interference and to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas through any
Article 14.  media and regardless of frontiers.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in Article 20. 
other countries asylum from persecution. 
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of assembly and association. 
prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political
crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an
principles of the United Nations. association.

Article 15.  Article 21. 

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.  (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the
government of his country, directly or through
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his freely chosen representatives. 
nationality nor denied the right to change his
nationality. (2) Everyone has the right to equal access to
public service in his country. 
Article 16. 
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the
(1) Men and women of full age, without any authority of government; this shall be expressed
limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have in periodic and genuine elections which shall be
the right to marry and to found a family. They are by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held
entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during by secret vote or by equivalent free voting
marriage and at its dissolution.  procedures.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the
free and full consent of the intending spouses. 
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental
group unit of society and is entitled to protection
by society and the State.
Article 17.  social and cultural rights indispensable for his
Article 22. 
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right
to social security and is entitled to realization,
through national effort and international co-
operation and in accordance with the organization
and resources of each State, of the economic,
dignity and the free development of his
personality.
Article 23.  further the activities of the United Nations for the
maintenance of peace. 
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice
of employment, to just and favorable conditions of (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind
work and to protection against unemployment.  of education that shall be given to their children.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the Article 27. 

right to equal pay for equal work. 
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and
favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and
his family an existence worthy of human dignity,
and supplemented, if necessary, by other means
of social protection.  (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join
trade unions for the protection of his interests.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in
the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts
and to share in scientific advancement and its
benefits. 
moral and material interests resulting from any
scientific, literary or artistic production of which he
is the author.

Article 24.  Article 28. 

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, Everyone is entitled to a social and international
including reasonable limitation of working hours order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in
and periodic holidays with pay. this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 25.  Article 29. 

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living
adequate for the health and well-being of himself
and of his family, including food, clothing, housing
and medical care and necessary social services,
and the right to security in the event of
unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood,
old age or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his control.  securing due recognition and respect for the
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to
special care and assistance. All children, whether
born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same
social protection.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in
which alone the free and full development of his
personality is possible. 
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms,
everyone shall be subject only to such limitations
as are determined by law solely for the purpose of
rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the
just requirements of morality, public order and the
general welfare in a democratic society. 
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be
exercised contrary to the purposes and principles
of the United Nations

Article 26.  Article 30. 

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as
Education shall be free, at least in the elementary implying for any State, group or person any right
and fundamental stages. Elementary education to engage in any activity or to perform any act
shall be compulsory. Technical and professional aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and
education shall be made generally available and freedoms set forth herein.
higher education shall be equally accessible to all
on the basis of merit.  Input 6:

(2) Education shall be directed to the full
development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendship among
all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall
Philippines: UN Report details widespread
Human Rights Violations and Persistent Impunity 
BANGKOK/GENEVA (4 June 2020) – A heavy-
handed focus on countering national security
threats and illegal drugs has resulted in serious
human rights violations in the Philippines,
including killings and arbitrary detentions, as well
as the vilification of dissent, a new report by the
UN Human Rights Office said Thursday.
Persistent impunity and formidable barriers to
accessing justice need to be urgently addressed,
the report said.
The report, which was mandated by a UN Human
Rights Council resolution, noted that many of the
human rights concerns it has documented are
long-standing, but have become more acute in
recent years. This has been manifested
particularly starkly in the widespread and
systematic killing of thousands of alleged drug
suspects. Numerous human rights defenders
have also been killed over the past five years.
“While there have been important human rights
gains in recent years, particularly in economic
and social rights, the underpinning focus on
national security threats – real and inflated – has
led to serious human rights violations, reinforced
by harmful rhetoric from high-level officials,” the
report stated. “This focus has permeated the
implementation of existing laws and policies and
the adoption of new measures – often at the
expense of human rights, due process rights, the
rule of law, and accountability.”
Since the Government launched its campaign
against illegal drugs in 2016, official figures
indicate that at least 8,663 people have been
killed, with some estimates putting the real toll at
more than triple that number. The UN Human
Rights Office has also documented that, between
2015 and 2019, at least 248 human rights
defenders, legal professionals, journalists and
trade unionists have been killed in relation to their
work.
There has been near impunity for these killings,
with only one conviction for the killing of a drug
suspect in a police operation since mid-2016, the
report stated. Witnesses, family members,
journalists and lawyers interviewed by the UN
Human Rights Office expressed fears over their
safety and a sense of powerlessness in the
search for justice, resulting in a situation where
“the practical obstacles to accessing justice within
the country are almost insurmountable.”
Given the failure of domestic mechanisms to
ensure accountability thus far, the report stressed
the need for independent, impartial, credible
investigations into all allegations of serious
violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law. The High Commissioner stands
ready to assist credible efforts towards
accountability at the national and international
level.
The UN Human Rights Office examined the key
policy documents relating to the campaign
against illegal drugs and found a troubling lack of
due process protections, and the use of language
calling for “negation” and “neutralization” of drug
suspects.
“Such ill-defined and ominous language, coupled
with repeated verbal encouragement by the
highest level of State officials to use lethal force,
may have emboldened police to treat the circular
as permission to kill,” the report stated.
Police raids on private households were routinely
carried out without warrants, and post-operational
spot reports examined by the Office indicated that
evidence may have been falsified. An
examination of 25 operations in which 45 people
were killed in Metro Manila between August 2016
and June 2017 found that “police repeatedly
recovered guns bearing the same serial numbers
from different victims in different locations,”
suggesting some victims were unarmed at the
time of their killing. Arrests of suspected drug
offenders have also contributed to a 534 per cent
prison congestion rate – among the highest in the
world.
While the Philippines has a long-standing and
robust tradition of human rights advocacy and
activism, with more than 60,000 registered NGOs,
human rights defenders have been subject to
verbal and physical attacks, threats and legal
harassment for nearly 20 years, the report states.
The vilification of dissent and attacks against
perceived critics, the report said, are being
“increasingly institutionalized and normalized in
ways that will be very difficult to reverse.”
The phenomenon of “red-tagging” – labelling
individuals or groups (including human rights
defenders and NGOs) as communists or terrorists
– has posed a serious threat to civil society and
freedom of expression. The report notes how in
some cases those who have been red-tagged
were subsequently killed. Others told the UN
Human Rights Office they had received death
threats or sexually-charged comments in private
messages or on social media.
“Human rights advocacy is routinely equated with
insurgency and the focus diverted to discrediting
the messengers rather than examining the
substance of the message,” the report said. “This
has muddied the space for debate, disagreement
and for challenging State institutions and
policies.”
Human rights violations documented in the
Philippines have been exacerbated by harmful
rhetoric emanating from the highest levels of the
Government, which the report described as
“pervasive and deeply damaging.” That rhetoric
has ranged from degrading comments against
women human rights defenders to incitement to
extreme violence against civil society actors,
journalists, people who use and sell drugs, and
indigenous peoples. The use of some of this
“incendiary” language “could amount to a violation
of the prohibition against arbitrary deprivation of
life in Article 6 of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights,” the report said.
In the report, the UN Human Rights Office also
detailed ongoing threats to freedom of
expression, with legal charges and prosecutions
being brought against journalists and senior
politicians critical of the Government, as well as
actions to shut down media outlets.
The report also examined key national security
laws and policies and their impact on human
rights, particularly in the southern island of
Mindanao, as well as Negros Island, which have
seen increased militarization through the
imposition of emergency measures. The effect of
this militarization – coupled with the long-standing
presence of armed groups and the pressure by
powerful landed elites and large business projects
– is particularly dire on already embattled
indigenous and farming communities.
There are concerns that counter-insurgency
policies have given rise to patterns resembling
“those that characterize the anti-illegal drugs
campaign, notably a presumption of guilt and lack
of due process or effective oversight – this time
against those suspected of supporting the
[Communist Party of the Philippines and its New
People’s Army],” the report stated.
dialogue. Accountability and full transparency for
alleged violations are essential for building public
trust. Unfortunately, the report has documented
deep-seated impunity for serious human rights
violations, and victims have been deprived of
justice for the killings of their loved ones. Their
testimonies are heartbreaking.”
“People who use or sell drugs do not lose their
human rights,” the High Commissioner said.
“People who disagree with Government policies
and criticize them, including in international fora,
should not be vilified as terrorist sympathizers.
Indigenous peoples should not be victims of a
tug-of-war between the State, non-State armed
groups and business interests.”
She said the UN Human Rights Office was ready
to support the Philippines – constructively and
concretely – in implementing the report’s
recommendations, in an effort to halt the many
long-standing, widespread human rights
violations in the country, and to prevent their
recurrence.
The report is based on 893 written submissions,
substantial input from the Government of the
Philippines, analysis of legislation, police reports,
court documents, videos, photos and other open
source material, as well as interviews with victims
and witnesses. It is due to be discussed at the
next UN Human Rights Council session in
Geneva.

The report also documents reports of human

rights abuses by non-State actors, including
killings, abductions, recruitment of children and
extortion by the New People’s Army (NPA). The
United Nations lists the NPA among parties that
commit grave violations affecting children in
situations of armed conflict.

The High Commissioner welcomed the

substantive engagement between the UN Human
Rights Office and the Government of the
Philippines in the preparation of the report.

“The Philippines faces major challenges –

structural poverty, inequality, armed conflict,
frequent natural disasters, and now the COVID-
19 crisis,” Bachelet said. “It is vital the
Government’s responses be grounded in human-
rights approaches and guided by meaningful