The Philippines’ Extrajudicial Killing Problem

On November 6, 2018, human rights lawyer Ben Ramos was gunned down on the central Philippine island of Negros. His killing was a reminder that extrajudicial killings have continued with impunity under the government of President Rodrigo Duterte, beyond the so-called war on drugs that continues to dominate headlines.

Duterte has gained international notoriety for waging a “war on drugs” that has killed thousands. Though the police say less than 5,000 have been killed during anti-drug operations, some human rights groups believe that the number has already reached more than 20,000.

The case of Ramos, a lawyer known for helping small farmers, however, is further proof that extrajudicial killings under the Duterte government are not restricted to state anti-drug operations. Indeed, extrajudicial killings have in fact taken place in connection to various issues, including counterinsurgency, politics, and even land and labor rights.

During his election campaign, Duterte pledged to kill a million drug suspects and other criminals. In the first few months of Duterte’s presidency, some worried that the steadily growing numbers of dead drug suspects were the police’s effort to fulfill Duterte’s promise. Some cases drew greater attention than others, such as those including minors and foreigners.

It is not entirely clear how many extrajudicial killings are truly related to drug activity. In some cases, there appear to be links to crime, politics, and money – a nasty web of suspicions that are difficult to confirm. For example, several mayors and vice mayors have been slain since Duterte took power in July 2016. Some of the victims were included in Duterte’s list of narco-politicians or officials protecting drug operations, but not all have clear links with criminal groups.

Beyond politicians, the dragnet has extended to other custodians of the law in the country. For example, the Negros lawyer mentioned above was the 34th lawyer killed under the Duterte administration. Excluding judges and prosecutors, Ramos was the 24th member of the profession killed and the eighth in the Visayas islands. He had represented a number of political prisoners.

Counterinsurgency is yet another front in the government’s three wars, and here too, extrajudicial killing is a concern. Karapatan, a human rights group, has documented 196 extrajudicial killings in line with the government’s counterinsurgency program. At least 157 victims were peasants.

Then there are environmental related issues, including those regarding land and labor. The Philippines recorded the highest number of killed environmental defenders in the Asian region with 48 deaths in 2017. Most of the victims were indigenous peoples resisting the entry of mining and plantation companies into their traditional homelands.

The number of killings soared after Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao and the intensification of the military campaign against communist rebels. Those who support local communities in denouncing the destructive impact of mining have been killed as well, including priests, activists, and journalists.

Other areas are of concern as well, such as the killing of journalists. As of July 2018, around a dozen journalists have been killed under the Duterte government, making the Philippines one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the media.

What is clear is that extrajudicial killings in the Philippines are much more than simply a product of the war on drugs. The deaths relate to a wide variety of issues and industries, though many have one thing in common: opposition to the government’s policies.

The issue of extrajudicial killings continues to be a hot topic in the Philippines. In early November, Manny Pacquiao, a world famous boxing champion and now a Philippine senator, said that there are no extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. His comments, made during a visit to Oxford University, generated considerable outrage. The country’s Senate president responded by asserting that extrajudicial killings are real but not state-backed, an argument many observers would still disagree with.

The Philippines is heading toward midterm elections in 2019, which will be yet another test for the Duterte government. On the one hand, this is yet another opportunity for the public and the international community to hold the government to account for the extrajudicial killings. But on the other hand, given both the systemic difficulties the Philippines has had in addressing this issue in the past, and the Duterte government’s mix of negligence and complicity in the killings, there is little hope that this situation will be turning around in any meaningful way anytime soon.