The Indigenous World 2024: Philippines
The country’s Indigenous population continues to be estimated at between 10% and 20% of the national population of 109,035,343, based on the 2020 population census.
The Indigenous groups in the northern mountains of Luzon (Cordillera) are collectively known as Igorot while the groups on the southern island of Mindanao are collectively called Lumad. There are smaller groups collectively known as Mangyan in the island of Mindoro as well as smaller, scattered groups in the Visayas islands and Luzon, including several groups of hunter-gatherers in transition. Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines have retained much of their traditional, pre-colonial culture, social institutions and livelihood practices.
They generally live in geographically isolated areas with a lack of access to basic social services and few opportunities for mainstream economic activities, education or political participation. In contrast, commercially valuable natural resources such as minerals, forests and rivers can be found primarily in their areas, making them continuously vulnerable to development aggression and land grabbing.
The Republic Act 8371, known as the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA), was promulgated in 1997. The law has been lauded for its support for respect of Indigenous Peoples’ cultural integrity, right to their lands and right to self-directed development of those lands. More substantial implementation of the law is still being sought, however, apart from there being fundamental criticism of the law itself. The Philippines voted in favour of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) but the government has not yet ratified ILO Convention 169.
The year 2023 witnessed increasing threats to Indigenous Peoples’ ancestral lands and territories, with the government of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. aggressively promoting foreign investments, especially targeting the mining, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. Ancestral lands cover around 13-14 million hectares of the country’s land area, and include 5.3 million hectares of forests, comprising 75% of the remaining forest cover in the Philippines.[1] In general, Indigenous lands remain unrecognized. Indigenous Peoples wanting to claim legal recognition of their ancestral domains, as provided for in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, face various obstacles, including the very high costs of obtaining a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT)[2] and Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT),[3] and an average of 10-20 years to process a title.
In 2023, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) achieved only 33% of its targeted 1,531 ancestral domains and lands to be issued with CADT and CALT.[4] In addition, data compiled by the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Centre in 2023 show an increase of at least 70,344.96 hectares of ancestral lands that are facing significant risks of negative environmental impact within or in proximity to Indigenous territories, now totalling 1.33 million hectares.[5] The Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) also remains a core problem, beset with violations by the NCIP and private corporations. Further, the climate of impunity persists as State attacks on civil, political and collective rights resulting from the Indigenous Peoples’ resistance to land grabbing and resource plunder continue unabated.
Renewable energy
The Philippines has an estimated 246,000 megawatts (MW) of untapped renewable energy and the world’s third largest geothermal capacity at 1,900 MW.[6] The government’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP 2020-2040) has set a target of a 35% share of renewable energy in the power generation mix by 2030 and 50% by 2040.[7] With the country’s current mix of renewable energy consisting of 4.3 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower, 896 MW of solar energy and 427 MW of wind power, the NREP aims to increase geothermal capacity by 75%, expanding hydropower capacity by 160%, increasing wind power capacity to 2,345 MW, and adding 277 MW of biomass power.[8] For Indigenous Peoples, this means an aggressive construction of more energy projects on their territories and a consequent intensification of land rights and human rights violations.
In his State of the Nation address on 24 July 2023, President Marcos boasted of the awarding of an additional 126 renewable energy contracts over his first year of presidency. As of July 2023, there are 1,025 active renewable energy projects, mostly hydroelectric projects (436).[9] Marcos is aiming for full electrification of the country by the end of his term in 2028 through the government’s One Grid, One Market strategy.[10] He also frequently mentioned the need to address climate change in his speeches.
To attract more foreign investors, the Department of Energy amended the Renewable Energy Act in November 2022 to allow 100% foreign ownership of renewable energy projects.[11] The law previously awarded the exploration, development and utilization of renewable energy sources to companies that were at least 60% Filipino-owned while foreign investors were only allowed to own up to 40% equity in energy projects. Other incentives given to renewable energy companies include income tax holidays, a reduced income tax rate upon expiry of the tax holiday, and tax exemptions for carbon credit generation from renewable energy sources.
In pursuing his renewable energy programme, President Marcos has ignored the Indigenous Peoples affected by the energy projects even when many of these are located on Indigenous territories. In the Cordillera region alone, the Department of Energy has awarded 100 renewable energy projects affecting vast tracts of Indigenous lands, some of which are biodiversity hotspots, Indigenous Community Conservation Areas,[12] and Protected Areas.[13] These include a series of eight large hydropower projects along the Apayao River, which were awarded to the Pan Pacific Renewable Power Philippines Corporation, and six hydropower projects along the Chico River and its tributaries affecting some 17 sub-tribes of the Kalinga Indigenous people. In Panay Island, the controversial Jalaur mega-dam project affecting the Tumandok Indigenous people is nearing completion and is targeted to start operating in 2025.[14] All these projects have been marked by FPIC violations, militarization and human rights violations following opposition from the affected communities.
In a disaster-prone country, Marcos’ quest for climate change mitigation is also contradicted by the construction of more hydropower mega-dams and large-scale mining that are destroying forests and the natural environment, thus leading to worsening disasters such as massive landslides and flooding during strong typhoons.
Large-scale mining
The Philippines is considered to be the fifth most mineralized country in the world, with total mineral assets valued at more than USD $1.4 trillion (approx. 1.3 trillion euro). Globally, it has the third largest deposits of gold, fourth of copper, fifth of nickel, and sixth of chromite. Its untapped coal resources are estimated at some 2.4 billion tonnes. Only 5% of the country’s total mineral reserves have been explored and 3% of potential mineral areas are covered by mining contracts.[15]
Following the lifting of the moratorium on new mining agreements and of the ban on open pit mining in 2021, the Marcos administration is aggressively pursuing the revitalization of the mining industry and opening the country up to more foreign mining investments under the pretext of post-pandemic economic recovery. This was no surprise for Indigenous Peoples who have known the Marcos family, including associates of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to own mining companies, some of which operated in Indigenous territories such as Benguet Corporation Inc. It will mean, however, that the plunder and destruction of Indigenous lands and resources is bound to worsen.
On 23 February 2023, President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 18,[16] constituting “green lanes” whereby all national government agencies are mandated to speed up the process of approving necessary licences and permits for strategic investments, including mining and energy projects. To further attract investors, on 25 September 2023, the House of Congress passed House Bill 8937, an Act Enhancing the Fiscal Regime for the Mining Industry.[17] Salient features of House Bill 8937 include the lowering of royalty rates from the gross output of mining operations within mineral reservations from 5% to 4% and the non-imposition of export tax, while maintaining a 1% royalty from gross output to the government for those who are operating within ancestral domains. These are in addition to the provisions of the Mining Act of 1995 that are already enjoyed by mining companies, such as 100% ownership of lands and tax holidays.
By the end of 2023, data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau reveals that there are 349 approved mining permits and contracts.[18] In addition, hundreds of applications for mining permits and contracts are still in process. New mining projects on Indigenous lands cover 223,006 hectares.[19] The mining projects continue to be rejected by Indigenous Peoples due to their immense impact on the environment, biodiversity, resources, livelihood and Indigenous culture. In many cases, Indigenous Peoples are protesting the anomalous FPIC processes surrounding mining applications, such as the Makilala Mining Company project[20] in Kalinga province, which plans to commence its 25-year mining project in 2024, and the expansion of Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc.’s Sangilo mines,[21] which started operating in Benguet province in 1930 and is now fast-tracking its expansion project for a 25-year mining operation through a special mining permit.
Along the way, some of the gains from local anti-mining struggles have been marked by legal victories. In Sibuyan Island, dubbed by natural scientists as the “Galapagos of Asia”, the Sibuyan Mangyan Tagabukid Indigenous people are resisting a nickel mining concession owned by Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC), a subsidiary of the Canadian company Altai Resources Inc., whose project overlaps with a protected area and biodiversity hotspot. Without a permit to operate and despite people’s protests, APMC has been extracting ore, cutting trees and constructing a causeway for a port facility.[22] This prompted the people of Sibuyan to file a petition for a writ of kalikasan[23] at the Supreme Court against the APMC, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). On 13 June 2023, the Supreme Court granted the writ of kalikasan although it denied the petitioners’ request for the issuance of a Temporary Environmental Protection Order.[24]
Similarly, in the province of Palawan, the Ipilan Nickel Corporation and Celestial Mining were operating a nickel mining project in areas covered by the National Integrated Protected Areas System[25] and without the FPIC of the Pala’wan Indigenous people. The Pala’wan Indigenous people filed a petition for a writ of kalikasan at the Supreme Court against the companies, DENR and MGB, which the Supreme Court granted on 16 August 2023, citing that the mining operations may cause irreparable damage to the protected area and the ancestral domain, that they place the residents in peril, and that continued operations would lead to environmental damage as seen in the extreme flooding and contamination of fishing areas.[26]
Intensified attacks on Indigenous land defenders
In a 2023 Global Witness report, it was noted that the Philippines remains the deadliest country in Asia for land and environment defenders for the 10th consecutive year and remains in the top five most dangerous countries for land and environment defenders globally.[27] According to the report, out of 16 documented killings in Asia, 11 took place in the Philippines. All over the country, Indigenous defenders of ancestral lands, environment and human rights are experiencing intensified attacks resulting from the State’s implementation of “anti-insurgency” and “anti-terror” laws and policies, including Executive Order 70 “Whole of Nation Approach to End Insurgency”, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
The KATRIBU National Alliance of Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and the SANDUGO Alliance of Moro and Indigenous Peoples have documented 12 victims of abduction and enforced disappearance, 87 victims of extrajudicial killings, and 316 victims of arbitrary arrests of Indigenous Peoples and Moro under the Marcos Jr. administration.[28] In addition, many Indigenous activists are facing trumped-up charges. KATRIBU has also documented 10 incidents of bombings, shelling and strafing in Indigenous communities between July 2022 and November 2023. These include the aerial bombings and artillery shelling in Barangay Gawaan in March 2023 and subsequent intensified militarization of Barangays Gawaan and Poswoy starting in March 2023.[29] Both Barangays are located in Balbalan, Kalinga and are known for their strong resistance to the proposed Saltan hydropower projects, having consistently registered their opposition in the ongoing FPIC process.
Further, the government has started using the draconian Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL)[30] against Indigenous activists. On 7 June 2023, four Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) leaders, including CPA Chairperson Windel Bolinget, were arbitrarily designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) by means of ATC Resolution No. 41.[31] The law, passed in 2020, was widely opposed by Indigenous Peoples due to its implication for Indigenous Peoples’ struggles, which could be wrongly misconstrued as acts of terrorism. Various local and international groups condemned the terrorist designation calling it baseless, unjust, unconstitutional and lacking in due process. The four designated “terrorists” are known defenders of Indigenous Peoples’, environmental and human rights. Prior to the “terrorist” designation, they had long been subjected to red-tagging, terrorist-labelling, harassment, surveillance, abduction, and trumped-up charges, which were all dismissed by the courts due to a lack of evidence. These include a trumped-up case of rebellion, which led to the arrest and detention of Jennifer Awingan-Taggaoa on 30 January 2023.[32] Bolinget and other Indigenous activists were also included and later delisted from the 2018 terrorist proscription petition of the Department of Justice.
The four were the first Indigenous activists to be designated as “terrorists” under the new law, rendering them open targets of warrantless arrest, detention without charge, extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance. Immediately after the terrorist designation was published on 10 July 2023, the bank accounts of the four activists, some of their family members, and the CPA were frozen on the basis of a resolution issued by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (Resolution No. TF-67[33]) as a result of the terrorist designation. The freezing of the bank accounts affected the economic needs of the four activists and their families. While the CPA was not designated a terrorist organization, its bank accounts were frozen on the basis of the same AMLC resolution, denying Cordillera Indigenous communities the support and services they receive through the CPA.
The four activists were also the first ones to challenge the terrorist designation in court. After the ATC’s denial of their request for the delisting of their names from the government’s designated terrorists list, the four filed a petition for the nullification of ATC Resolution No. 41, questioning the constitutionality of the ATL in court on 23 November 2023.[34] During the first hearing held on 14 December 2023, at which the four activists’ request was considered for a Writ of Preliminary Injunction to provide them temporary relief from the effects of the terrorist designation, in particular their safety and security as well as their financial needs, the four activists were harassed by a police officer wearing civilian clothes and carrying a firearm, which is strictly prohibited inside a courthouse.[35] The incident was proof that the safety and security of the four activists are further at risk due to the arbitrary terrorist designation. The case is ongoing.
Universal Periodic Review and official visit of the UN Special Rapporteur
On 27 March 2023, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) outcome of the Philippines. In this fourth UPR cycle, the Philippine government accepted 215 out of 289 recommendations, adding that “there was no policy to attack or harass human rights defenders and the country had an open civic space which allowed representatives of civil society and the media to fulfil their role in society”.[36] Indigenous Peoples and human rights groups, however, were disappointed owing to the fact that there had been no substantial improvement in the human rights situation and democratic space in the country and that the counterinsurgency policies and anti-terrorism law would only result in more extrajudicial killings and grave human rights violations.
Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines continued to engage UN bodies. On 19 July 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders published a copy of the Special Rapporteur and other UN experts’ communication to the Philippine government in which they raised serious concerns regarding the criminal indictment of CPA leaders and other human rights defenders, red-tagging, terrorist-labelling and the portrayal of them and their work as a threat to national security.[37]
From 6-15 November 2023, Mr. Ian Fry, the first UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change, visited the Philippines upon the invitation of the government.[38] Indigenous Peoples participated in a civil society dialogue with the rapporteur on 7 November at which they presented cases of human rights violations and the continued plunder of ancestral lands in the context of climate change. Towards the end of his visit, Indigenous Peoples commended Mr. Fry for his strong recommendations for the government to revoke the ATA and abolish the NTF-ELCAC, which facilitated human rights violations and the harassment of environmental defenders.[39]
As Marcos Jr.’s government continues the bloody legacy of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and former president Duterte, Indigenous Peoples do not expect a let up in the human rights violations and resource plundering over the next few years.
Sarah Bestang K. Dekdeken is a Kankanaey Igorot from the Cordillera region of northern Philippines. She is the current Secretary General of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), a federation of progressive people’s organizations, mostly grassroots-based organizations among the Indigenous communities of the Cordillera region.
This article is part of the 38th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous man harvesting quinoa in Sunimarka, Peru. This photo was taken by Pablo Lasansky, and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2024 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2024 in full here
Notes and references
[1] Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center. “State of Indigenous Peoples Address: 2022 Report”. Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, https://www.lrcksk.org/post/sipa-2022-report-launched-half-of-ancestral-domains-found-under-environmental-threat
[2] Under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of the Philippines, a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title refers to a title formally recognizing the rights of possession and ownership of Indigenous Peoples over their ancestral domains identified and delineated in accordance with this law. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1997/10/29/republic-act-no-8371/
[3] Under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of the Philippines, a Certificate of Ancestral Land Title refers to a title formally recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples over their ancestral lands. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1997/10/29/republic-act-no-8371/
[4] Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center. “State of Indigenous Peoples Address: 2023 Report”. Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, https://www.lrcksk.org/_files/ugd/dc2292_1ccc60a6346b4d849dfb1a4b9d8b3f1a.pdf
[5] Ibid.
[6] Medina, Ayman Falak. “Philippines Central Bank to Introduce Incentives for Green Financing.” ASEAN Briefing, 15 September 2023, https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/philippines-central-bank-to-introduce-incentives-for-green-financing/#:~:text=The%20Philippines%20has%20an%20estimated,and%20the%20US%20on%20top.&text=Dezan%20Shira%20%26%20Associates%20has%20helped,China%2C%20ASEAN%2C%20and%20India
[7] Philippine News Agency Press Release. “New RE plan targets 35% share of power generation by 2030.” Philippine News Agency, 13 November 2021, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159659
[8] Koty, Alexander Chipman. “Philippines Opens Renewable Energy to Full Foreign Ownership”. ASEAN Briefing, 11 January 2023, https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/philippines-opens-renewable-energy-to-full-foreign-ownership/#:~:text=The%20Philippines%27%20untapped%20renewable%20energy,and%20the%20US%20on%20top.
[9] Gozum, Iya. “Marcos says gov’t ‘aggressively’ promoting renewable energy.” Rappler, 25 July 2023, https://www.rappler.com/nation/sona-2023-marcos-jr-says-government-aggressively-promoting-renewable-energy/#:~:text=Marcos%20echoed%20the%20goals%20stated,to%2050%25%20by%202040.”
[10] Antonio, Raymund. “Full electrification in PH ‘within reach’, says Marcos in his SONA.” Manila Bulletin, 24 July 2023, https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/24/full-electrification-in-ph-within-reach-says-marcos-in-his-sona
[11] Department of Energy Circular No. 2022-11-0034 Prescribing Amendments to Section 19 of Department Circular No. 2009-05-0008 entitled Rules and Regulations implementing Republic Act No. 9513, otherwise known as “The Renewable Energy Act of 2008”, https://www.doe.gov.ph/sites/default/files/pdf/issuances/dc2022-11-0034.pdf
[12] Baguilat, Teddy. “Indigenous Community Conservation Areas in the Philippines include sacred sites and natural features, indigenous territories, cultural landscapes and seascapes”. https://www.cbd.int/traditional/nature-culture/Panel1_ICCA_Philippines_Teddy_Baguilat.pdf
[13] Protected Areas as defined in Republic Act No. 7586 are “portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation”. https://bmb.gov.ph/protected-area-development-and-management/philippine-protected-areas/
[14] Tayona, Glenda. “Jalaur mega dam operational by 2025.” Panay News, 9 March 2023, https://www.panaynews.net/jalaur-mega-dam-operational-by-2025/
[15] “Mining in the Philippines: a new chapter.” Australian Trade and Investment Commission, 13 July 2023, https://www.austrade.gov.au/en/news-and-analysis/analysis/mining-in-the-philippines-a-new-chapter
[16] Executive Order No. 18, s. 2023: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2023/02/23/executive-order-no-18-s-2023/
[17] House of Representatives Press Release. “Bill enhancing PH fiscal mining regime gets final House nod.” House of Representatives, 26 September 2023, https://congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=12719#:~:text=8937%20would%20give%20the%20government,of%20the%20country%27s%20mining%20industry.
[18] Approved Mining Permits and Contracts. DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau, 15 January 2024, https://mgb.gov.ph/2015-05-13-01-44-56/2015-05-13-01-46-18/2015-06-03-03-42-49
[19] State of Indigenous Peoples Address 2023. Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center – Friends of the Earth Philippines, https://www.lrcksk.org/publications
[20] Kinao, Menchie. “25-year underground mining in Pasil may begin project construction next year.” Guru Press, 13 June 2023, https://www.gurupress-cordillera.com/post/25-year-underground-mining-in-pasil-may-begin-project-construction-next-year
[21] De Vera, Sherwin. “Mining firm’s planned expansion threatens Benguet village.” Rapper, 31 January 2024. https://www.rappler.com/nation/luzon/mining-firm-planned-expansion-threatens-benguet-village-january-29-2024/
[22] Sarao, Zacarian. “Nickel mine threatens Philippines biodiversity hotspot on Sibuyan Island (analysis).” Mongabay, 6 December 2023, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1796832/supreme-court-issues-writ-of-kalikasan-against-denr-mgb-mining-firm-in-sibuyan-island
[23] A writ of kalikasan is a Constitutional provision that serves as a legal remedy for the protection of one’s right to “a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature”.
[24] Sarao, Zacarian. “Supreme Court issues writ of kalikasan vs DENR, MGB, mining firm in Sibuyan.” Inquirer.Net, 3 July 2023, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1796832/supreme-court-issues-writ-of-kalikasan-against-denr-mgb-mining-firm-in-sibuyan-island
[25] The National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) relates to the classification and administration of all designated protected areas in order to maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetic diversity, to ensure a sustainable use of the resources found therein, and to maintain their natural condition to the greatest extent possible, https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1992/ra_7586_1992.html
[26] Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines. “Supreme Court Issues Writ of Kalikasan Against DENR and Mining Operators in Mt. Mantalingahan, Palawan.” Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines, 16 August 2023, https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/supreme-court-issues-writ-of-kalikasan-against-denr-and-mining-operators-in-mt-mantalingahan-palawan/
[27] Global Witness. “Standing firm. The Land and Environment Defenders on the frontlines of the climate crisis.” Global Witness, 13 September 2023, https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/standing-firm/
[28] Katribu and Sandugo statement. “Indigenous and Moro groups seek UN SR probe into freedom of expression ahead of visit”. Katribu and Sandugo, 16 January 2024, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/indigenous-moro-groups-seek-beverly-l-longid-uqw5c
[29] Bulatlat contributors. “Explosions in Kalinga community cause fear, anxiety.” Bulatlat, 25 July 2023, https://www.bulatlat.com/2023/07/25/explosions-in-kalinga-community-cause-fear-anxiety/
[30] Carino, Jill. “The Indigenous World 2021: Philippines.” https://www.iwgia.org/en/philippines/4243-iw-2021-philippines.html
[31] Official Gazette. “Anti-Terrorism Council Resolution No. 41”. Official Gazette, https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2023/06jun/20230607-ATC-Resolution-41-FRM.PDF
[32] De Vera, Sherwin. “Cordillera activist arrested, more face rebellion charges.” Northern Dispatch, 30 January 2023. https://nordis.net/2023/01/30/article/news/car/cordillera-activist-arrested-more-face-rebellion-charge/
[33] Anti-Money Laundering Council Notice of AMLC Resolution No. TF-67, Series of 2023. http://www.amlc.gov.ph/images/PDFs/Main/Notice%20of%20TF%2067%20re%20ATC%20Resolution%2041%20(2023)%20For%20Publication.pdf
[34] De Vera, Sherwin. “Cordillera activists file court challenge on terrorist designation.” Rappler, 24 November 2023. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/cordillera-activists-file-court-challenge-terrorist-designation/#:~:text=FIGHTING%20BACK.,delisting%20petition%20in%20Baguio%20City
[35] De Vera, Sherwin. “Lawyers condemn harassment of clients inside Baguio’s justice hall.” Northern Dispatch, 16 December 2023. https://nordis.net/2023/12/16/article/news/lawyers-condemn-harassment-of-clients-inside-baguios-justice-hall/
[36] UN Human Rights Council. “Human Rights Council Adopts Universal Periodic Review Outcomes of India, Finland, and the Philippines.” https://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2023/03/human-rights-council-adopts-universal-periodic-review-outcomes-india-finland-and
[37] UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and UN experts’ joint communication to the government of the Philippines. https://srdefenders.org/philippines-criminal-charges-smears-harassment-against-human-rights-defenders-working-on-indigenous-peoples-land-environmental-rights-joint-communication/
[38] Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. “Philippines welcomes visit of UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights”. Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, https://dfa.gov.ph/dfa-news/dfa-releasesupdate/33624-philippines-welcomes-visit-of-un-special-rapporteur-on-climate-change-and-human-rights
[39] Bautista, Jane. “UN rapporteur to PH; Repeal anti-terror law, abolish anti-communist task force.” Inquirer.net, 16 November 2023. https://globalnation.inquirer.net/222679/un-rapporteur-to-govt-repeal-antiterror-law-abolish-anti-red-task-force#:~:text=United%20Nations%20Special%20Rapporteur%20Ian,the%20harassment%20of%20environmental%20defenders
Tags: Land rights, Business and Human Rights , Climate, Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders
