MANILA, Philippines – It’s been more than two years since the end of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, which was marked by human rights abuses and thousands of killings related to his war on drugs. The fight for human rights is far from over as violations persist under the watch of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
On Human Rights Day 2024, the United Nations emphasized how human rights is the path that will lead to a “more peaceful, equal, and sustainable” world.
Here are some Rappler stories from 2024 highlighting the continued fight for human rights, which calls for more independent human rights bodies and seeks accountability from the people in power.
Basic concepts, institutions on human rights
- Hate human rights? They protect freedoms you enjoy
- Culture of impunity: Law protecting PH human rights defenders badly needed
- More power, independence: Can a charter give CHR more teeth?
Human rights bodies
- Rappler Talk: Piercing the veil of Marcos’ human rights ‘super body’
- As UN’s PH human rights program ends, ‘we need an independent investigation’
Justice system
- Not yet justice, but SC ruling gives activists fighting chance vs red-tagging
- Duterte’s drug war killings: Cases closed, no action
- Beyond quad comm: Holding murder masterminds accountable
Labor rights, human trafficking
- Big fishers encroach on small fisherfolk’s municipal waters
- For 8th straight year, Philippines among 10 worst countries for workers
- In the Golden Triangle, a Filipino was told ‘you will die here’
- Red-tagging hinders workers from unionizing in the Philippines – report
- For years, Dutch ships have been paying Filipinos less than Europeans
Drug war
- Families of Duterte’s drug war victims: ‘We will tell our story every day’
- Patricia Evangelista: Journalism keeps records so we won’t forget atrocities
- Marcos ‘ended’ Davao City drug war killings. Why can’t he do it for the rest of PH?
Human rights defenders, activists
- WATCH: When activists are abducted and forced to ‘surrender’
- They visited friends in jail, the state called them terrorists
- For 11th year, Philippines still deadliest place in Asia for environmental defenders
- For human rights defenders, Cardinal-elect Ambo David is good news
- Under Marcos Jr., terror cases on the rise against ‘easy targets’
– Laurice Angeles/Rappler.com