Philippines rights score flashes red in HRMI report

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The Philippines scored poorly in key human rights indicators, with many people inadequately protected from state abuse and unable to fully enjoy civil liberties, according to new data from the Human Rights Measurement Initiative.

HRMI released its 2026 Rights Tracker covering 200 countries and territories, including its first civil and political rights data for the Philippines.

The Philippines received a Safety from the State score of 4.6 out of 10, indicating that many people are not adequately protected from arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment, forced disappearance, and extrajudicial killing.

Compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, HRMI said the Philippines ranks among the lowest-performing countries in the region in Safety from the State.

The country’s lowest Safety from the State score was freedom from arbitrary arrest, at 3.1 out of 10.

HRMI said the score falls within its “very bad” performance range and is the lowest among Southeast Asian countries surveyed by the group.

The Philippines received 5.3 out of 10 for freedom from forced disappearance, 4.6 out of 10 for freedom from extrajudicial execution, and 4 out of 10 for freedom from torture and ill-treatment.

The country received 10 out of 10 for freedom from the death penalty, reflecting the absence of capital punishment in the country.

Experts who participated in HRMI’s research identified people suspected of terrorism, people who protest or engage in nonviolent political activity, activists and human rights defenders, Indigenous peoples, and labor rights advocates as among those most vulnerable to safety and security violations by state actors.

The Philippines’ Empowerment score was 5.4 out of 10, suggesting that many people are unable to fully enjoy civil liberties and political freedoms.

These rights include freedom of expression, assembly, association, religion and belief, and democratic participation.

Compared with other Southeast Asian countries, HRMI said the Philippines performs better than average on Empowerment rights, although significant concerns remain.

The country’s lowest Empowerment score was freedom of assembly and association, at 4.3 out of 10, which HRMI classified as “bad.”

Freedom of opinion and expression followed at 5.4 out of 10, also in the “bad” range.

HRMI said many groups vulnerable to Safety from the State violations were also identified as facing heightened risk of restrictions on their rights and freedoms.

Journalists, LGBTQIA+ people, students, and women and girls were also among the groups identified by experts as facing challenges in exercising Empowerment rights.

‘These findings provide an important benchmark for understanding the state of civil and political rights in the Philippines. The exceptionally low score for freedom from arbitrary arrest should be a wake-up call. Everyone should be able to exercise their rights without fear of unjust detention or retaliation,’ said HRMI Southeast Asia Engagement Lead, Keshia Mahmood.

HRMI also said the Philippines is falling short in economic and social rights based on what should be achievable with its available resources.

On HRMI’s Quality of Life metric, which measures rights such as access to food, education, health, housing, and work, the Philippines achieved only 74.9% of what should be possible with its current income level.

Compared with other Southeast Asian countries, HRMI said the Philippines performs worse than average on Quality of Life rights.

The country ranked as the region’s third-lowest performer in Quality of Life rights, above only Laos and Timor-Leste.

The Philippines’ weakest Quality of Life areas were the right to education, at 66.1%, and the right to food, at 65.9%.

HRMI said both indicators fall within the “very bad” range.

The data also showed a worrying trend in education, with the country’s right to education score declining since 2017.

Groups identified as particularly at risk of being denied economic and social rights include street children and homeless youth, Indigenous peoples, and those with low social or economic status.

‘While the Philippines has the resources to achieve better outcomes, our data show it is currently not fully meeting its economic and social rights obligations under international human rights law,’ said HRMI Co-Executive Director, Thalia Kehoe Rowden. ‘Combined with the civil and political rights findings, these new data paint a troubling picture of the challenges many people continue to face. Meaningful reforms are needed to ensure that everyone in the Philippines can live safely, freely, and with dignity.’

HRMI said its Rights Tracker is a global project that systematically measures the human rights performance of countries.

The 2026 dataset gives scores on 14 civil and political rights for more than 50 countries from 2017 to 2025.

It also includes annual data on five economic and social rights for 200 countries from 2000 to 2023, based on the SERF Index methodology.

Globally, HRMI said the new data showed slow but steady improvement in areas such as child health and the right to water and sanitation.

The group also reported continuing challenges in specific places, including major drops in civil and political rights scores in the United States.

HRMI cited shrinking civic space and democratic erosion in countries such as Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and the United Kingdom, among others.

HRMI said its data are used by Amnesty International, the World Bank, and the United Nations.

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative is an independent nonprofit organization based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Its Rights Tracker is available for free and is certified as a Digital Public Good.