THE high-profile arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court in March 2025 has, according to Human Rights Watch, obscured a darker reality: human rights abuses remain a “deadly constant” under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In its World Report 2026, HRW said repeated government assurances of reform are being undermined by persistent extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the continued “red-tagging” of activists and critics.

‘Drug War’ by the Numbers

While the ICC advances its case against Duterte over alleged crimes against humanity, HRW noted that the government’s anti-drug campaign has continued to claim lives.

Since Marcos assumed office in July 2022, more than 1,000 people have reportedly been killed in anti-drug operations. Data from the Dahas monitoring project showed that 238 individuals died in drug-related incidents between January and November 2025 alone.

The report, authored by Bryony Lau and edited by Elaine Pearson, said security forces linked to abuses are rarely held accountable, reinforcing what it described as a culture of impunity.

Violence and Red-Tagging

HRW reported that violence has extended beyond alleged drug suspects. In June 2025, transgender rights activist and radio commentator Ali Macalintal was shot dead in Mindanao by a hooded assailant.

The group also documented a rise in political violence ahead of the May midterm elections, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Despite a 2024 ruling by the Supreme Court of the Philippines recognizing red-tagging as a threat to the rights to life, liberty, and security, the practice continues. In February, the military released a video targeting members of the Cordillera People’s Alliance.

At the same time, the government has expanded funding for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, proposing a 340-percent budget increase this year.

Weaponizing the Law

The report also flagged what it called the “weaponization” of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Although the Philippines was removed from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in early 2025, HRW said compliance measures have been used to intensify terrorism financing cases against civil society groups.

In April, six activists in Luzon were charged with terrorism financing. While some cases were dismissed for lack of evidence, others remain unresolved. Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, for instance, has remained in pretrial detention for five years.

Disappearances and Press Freedom

HRW said enforced disappearances continue to threaten land and environmental defenders. In March, Indigenous leader Genasque Enriquez disappeared after reportedly being arrested in Surigao del Sur. His whereabouts remain unknown.

The media environment also remains dangerous. Three journalists—Juan Dayang, Erwin Labitad Segovia, and Noel Bellen Samar—were killed in 2025.

While a former governor was convicted for the 2011 murder of broadcaster Gerry Ortega, HRW noted that the acquittal of suspects in the 2023 killing of radio journalist Juan Jumalon highlights the fragile state of justice for Filipino journalists.

HRW concluded that while the arrest of Duterte has drawn global attention, meaningful accountability for ongoing abuses remains elusive, warning that without systemic reform, impunity will continue to define the country’s human rights landscape.