PHL civic space still ‘repressed’ under Marcos, CIVICUS says

ILOILO CITY — A global alliance of civil society organizations says civic space in the Philippines remains “repressed,” with no marked improvement under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Josef Benedict, a researcher for CIVICUS Asia, said the Philippines was downgraded from “obstructed” to “repressed” in 2020 and has kept that rating since.

He said violations have continued from the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte into Marcos’s.

CIVICUS has also documented an increase in incidents involving protests, he added.

“I think for us at the CIVICUS Monitor, we have not seen any marked improvement in the state of civic space,” Benedict said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

The CIVICUS Monitor uses five categories to assess civic space: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed, and closed. Civic space covers the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression.

“Repressed” is the second-lowest rating, above only “closed.”

Arrests and detention

CIVICUS documented arrests, detention, harassment, intimidation, and attacks against activists and human rights defenders over the past two years. Some were charged with murder, illegal possession of firearms, rebellion, and terrorism.

The group cited the case of activist and student leader Amanda Echanis, who was arrested in 2020 for illegal possession of explosives and firearms. She was acquitted in January after more than five years in detention.

Benedict said prolonged detention can have lasting effects on activists.

“One’s life is totally turned upside down when one is in jail, and therefore, basically, [Echanis] has lost five years of her life because of this particular trumped-up charge against her when she was eventually acquitted by the courts,” he said.

CIVICUS also documented harassment and intimidation of activists’ families. This included efforts allegedly aimed at obtaining information or forcing activists to admit affiliation with insurgent groups.

The group also cited reports of online doxxing and trolling of young activists, which it said has contributed to self-censorship.

Red-tagging persists

Benedict said red-tagging has persisted despite recommendations from United Nations bodies.

“We know that beyond the 2022 recommendations by the UN, in 2024, UN human rights experts again flagged that the government has been using the broad and unchecked use of the anti-terrorism law to red-tag church leaders and humanitarian workers,” he said.

CIVICUS also cited a May report by the Commission on Human Rights that noted an increase in reported cases of labeling and vilification of human rights defenders.

In a May 2024 ruling, the Supreme Court declared red-tagging a threat to a person’s life, liberty, and security.

The group also raised concerns over terrorism financing cases filed against activists and civil society organizations.

It cited Section 25 of Republic Act No. 11479, or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. The group said the provision allows authorities to designate individuals and groups as terrorists and to freeze their assets without a court order.

Protest crackdown

CIVICUS identified the disruption of protests and the arrest of protesters as another concern. It cited the use of Batas Pambansa Blg. 880, or the Public Assembly Act of 1985, and cases in which protesters were arrested or charged.

Benedict said the September 2025 anti-corruption protests were a particular concern for the organization.

The Sept. 21, 2025, rallies were fueled by allegations of corruption in government flood control projects.

According to data gathered by human rights group Karapatan, more than 200 people, including 91 children, were arrested and detained during the protests. At least 72 were charged with sedition and inciting to sedition.

“We saw arbitrary arrests and detention of over 200 people, including 91 children, and those who were arrested also denied access to lawyers and their families. Subsequently, 72 people were charged with sedition and incitement to sedition,” he said.

Journalists under fire

The CIVICUS report also documented the continued targeting of journalists through killings, shootings, arrests, and terrorism-related cases.

The cases it cited include those of three radio journalists:

• Maria Vilma Rodriguez, who was killed in Zamboanga City in October 2024.
• Erwin Labitad Segovia, who was shot dead in July 2025.
• Noel Bellen Samar, who was shot in October 2025 and died the following day.

Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio was convicted of financing terrorism in January and sentenced to at least 12 years in prison, after nearly six years in pretrial detention, according to the report.

Benedict said CIVICUS was also concerned about documentary censorship and legislation intended to address disinformation.

The group cited the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board’s 2024 X rating of the documentary “Alipato at Muog,” later reclassified as R-16. It also cited the 2025 withdrawal of the documentary “Food Delivery” from a film festival.

CIVICUS also raised concerns over the Digital Media Anti-False Information Act, which the House of Representatives approved in June and which remains pending in the Senate.

The proposed law would criminalize publishing and disseminating false information. It would impose prison terms of six to 12 years and fines of PHP 500,000 to PHP 2 million for certain violations.

“The authorities must respect the right to protest and ensure that when arbitrary arrests occur, or excessive force is used, that the perpetrators are held to account,” Benedict said in a CIVICUS press release.

“The government must also stop targeting journalists and withdraw the Digital Media Anti-False Information Act, which is inconsistent with international law and standards,” he added.

Negros killings

The CIVICUS brief also cited the killing of 19 people in Toboso, Negros Occidental, on April 19.

Nine of those killed have since been identified as civilians. They include community journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma, community researcher Errol Wendel Chen, and two minors.

The military maintains that all 19 were New People’s Army rebels and cited the seizure of 24 firearms. Activists have questioned the official account.

The Commission on Human Rights has launched an independent investigation.

Calls for reform

Benedict said CIVICUS is calling for three things:

• Investigations into attacks on activists and journalists.
• An end to using anti-terrorism and terrorism financing laws against civil society.
• Changes to legislation governing protests and free expression.

The group also called for four specific measures:

• The abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
• The rescission of Executive Order No. 70, which created the task force in 2018.
• Amendments to the Public Assembly Act.
• Passage of a Human Rights Defenders Protection Act.

In its October 2022 concluding observations on the Philippines, the UN Human Rights Committee called on the government to prevent attacks, harassment, and intimidation against human rights defenders, journalists, and members of civil society. It also urged the government to take steps to prevent excessive use of force during protests.

CIVICUS added the Philippines to its Watchlist in March. It cited arrests, excessive force, and the criminalization of protesters and activists, as well as red-tagging and terrorism financing charges against civil society groups.

ICC exit

On the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, Benedict said the move removed one avenue for international accountability. He urged the government to reverse the decision.

The ICC maintains that although the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect on March 17, 2019, the court retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in the country from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.

Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and surrendered to the ICC in The Hague, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity over killings linked to his anti-drug campaign.

“I think it’s really disappointing that the government first pulled out of the ICC because it is the global mechanism to bring individuals who have committed serious crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes to account,” he said during the media briefing.