๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ - ๐๐๐
Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) called on the Philippine government to establish protection mechanisms for environmental and human rights defenders (EHRDs), communities and social movements, in the wake of a Global Witness report documenting at least 124 land and environmental defenders killed worldwide in 2025, including 12 in the Philippines.
Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, said โcollective protection approaches by communities must be supported and strengthened instead of individual EHRDs being criminalized. We join Global Witnessโ call to governments, companies and the international community to support defenders, tackle impunity, recognize land and territorial rights, strengthen corporate accountability and address the underlying drivers of violence.โ
According to Global Witness, more than three quarters of the 124 killed were small-scale farmers, Indigenous or Afro-descendant people. The attacks are also part of wider struggles over land and resources.
The report further stated that of the 12 defenders killed in the Philippines, five were linked to the armed forces. โWhen attempts to criminalise defenders fail, the military reverts to more direct attacksโ, the report said.
Garganera called on President Bongbong Marcos to include the EHRD Bill in his priority legislative agenda. โCongress must prioritize passing the EHRD bill so that human rights advocates, including those defending their lands and livelihoods from destructive mining, do not suffer assaults, harassment and red-tagging."
โLocal government units also need to pass ordinances and laws for the protection of EHRDs. We likewise call on the Commission on Human Rights to undertake measures that protect EHRDs, such as creating a special task force focused primarily on them,โ added Garganera.โ
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