Philippines and US Complicit in Human Rights Abuses
More than 200 human rights advocates, student activists, church leaders and community supporters from the U.S. and the Philippines gathered from July 16-18, 2015 in Washington DC to hold an International Peoples’ Tribunal (IPT), hoping their voices would be heard by the White House, Congress and other agencies responsible for shaping and implementing public policy towards the Philippines.
In addition to the hearings, activities included briefings of congressional staff and State Department senior officials, marches and rallies in front of the White House and the Philippine Embassy.
The IPT heard from human rights lawyers, survivors and families of victims who provided personal accounts of harassment, torture and abuse by Philippine government authorities.
The verdict of the Tribunal found “that the defendant Government of the U.S. is equally liable with Defendant Aquino for these gross human rights violations committed against the civil and political rights of complainants, the Filipino people.”