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The Philippines: Indigenous peoples from 35 countries publish The Manila Declarationposted on: 2009/03/30

Indigenous Peoples and support organisations from 35 countries around the world and representing many more Indigenous Nations attending the International Conference on Extractive Industries and Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines, have published The Manila Declaration.

Philippines: Front Line Mission reports on the dangers to human rights defendersposted on: 2007/09/27

A Front Line delegation expressed grave concern about ongoing killings and enforced disappearances of human rights defenders in The Philippines at the end of a two week visit to the country. Front Line representatives met with human rights defenders in Manila, Central Luzon, Zambales, Mindanao and Cebu as well as with the army, the police, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Commission on Human Rights and the Ministry of Justice.

Manila: ASEAN foreign ministers agree in principle to set up human rights body.posted on: 2007/07/30

MANILA (Reuters) - Southeast Asian foreign ministers agreed in principle today to set up a human rights body after military-ruled Myanmar dropped objections to the plan, but diplomats said key differences remained. The issue had created a rift within the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and threatened to divert attention from the group's efforts at economic integration.

Philippines: Death Threats Against Human Rights Defenderposted on: 2005/02/26

Bienvenido Salinas, Director of the Saint Thomas Law Center, a unit of the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), has received multiple death threats. The UPA is a Philippine non-governmental organisation working for the housing rights of the urban poor in Quezon City.

According to the information received, on 9th February 2005 a man telephoned the office and threatened the staff that “Atty (Bienvendio) Salinas' days are numbered, and so are his children’s.” It has also been reported that on 15th February 2005, a man telephoned the offices and issued the same threat to the office staff. Furthermore, on 17th February 2005, two vans with tinted windows were allegedly seen outside the office of Saint Thomas Law Centre.

Recently, Bienvenido Salinas has been involved in a litigation case on behalf of seven families whose homes were demolished on 21st January 2005 without prior demolition notice.

Extrajudicial Executions of Women Human Rights Defenders in the Philippinesposted on: 2004/11/14

According to reports by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, on 13 February 2004, Mrs. Juvy Magsino and Mrs. Leima Fortu, both human rights defenders working in the Philippines, were reportedly killed by members of the Philippines Army (IBPA). Mrs. Juvy Magsino had allegedly previously received two death threats claiming that she would not live past 15 February 2004.

According to the information received, on 13 February 2004 at approximately 23.00, members of the 204th Infantry Brigade of the Philippines Army (IBPA) followed Mrs. Magsino and Mrs. Fortu while they were driving to Pinagsabangan to get a computer from a friend. Two men on a motorcycle without a license plate armed with a 9mm and an armalite allegedly covered Mrs. Magsino's vehicle with bullets and shot Mrs. Magsino and Mrs. Fortu to death in Barangay Amuguis.

Human rights defender Rashid Manahan killed in the Philippines, August 2004posted on: 2004/10/20

Rashid Manahan, coordinator of a newly established network of Philippine NGOs and human rights institutions, “Mamamayang Tutol sa Bitay” (Citizens against the Death Penalty), was shot dead in Davao city while on his way to attend a forum on the abolition of death penalty on 24 August 2004.

A staunch campaigner against summary executions, Rashid aged 27, was also executive director of the Community Resource and Development Centre (CRDC), a partner non-governmental organization of the United Nations Multi-Donor Program (UNMDP-3) for peace initiatives in former war-torn towns and villages on the island of Maguindanao.

He had just returned from the airport, having collected two guest speakers of the forum against the death penalty, Martha Alvarez of the Asia Monitoring Team of the European Union and Dr Nymia Simbulan, a Philippine National human rights co-coordinator, when he was shot by an unidentified assailant on a motorcycle. He died while being transported to the Davao Medical Centre.