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In Celebration of Women Fighting Fascism

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines US Chapter marks March 8 International Working Women’s Day by reiterating our firm solidarity with with working Filipina women in the Philippines and around the world, including activists, organizers, and those who choose to stand up against exploitation and oppression and are continuing the fight against economic, political, and military domination by the corrupt US-backed Philippines government. The fascist economic policies of Marcos Jr., in the context of ongoing subservience to US interests, have deepened the economic crisis in the Philippines which impacts women both in cities and in rural areas.

The expanding military footprint of the US endangers local communities by bringing war with China closer to reality. The US build up to war in the Philippines will tie the economy even closer to the US war machine through the mining of critical minerals and through major projects such as making Subic a weapons manufacturing and storage hub. Already, these moves have lead to the loss of livelihood and the placing of women in more precarious and irregular jobs, the growth of “redlight” areas that accommodate sexual exploitation for soldiers, and the general rise in the prices of commodaties and cost of living vis a vis decreasing wages.

As more and more women face economic hardship at home, these conditions push many women to seek work overseas despite the risks. Millions of Filipinos work abroad, including large numbers of women in domestic service, caregiving, and other labor sectors. The drive of many to go abroad leads to continuing cases of human trafficking, illegal recruitment, and recruitment scams targeting women seeking jobs abroad. Most recently, Filipino migrants have been harmed by war that has erupted in the Middle East.

Despite the administration being the driving force behind massive migration, it is lethargic in its response and indifferent to the plight of migrants. Migrant women in the US facing fascist attacks have been ignored and neglected by the govt. Philippine representatives within the US, like Ambassador Jose Romualdez, would rather bow down to the interests of the US to keep them happy rather than stand up to defend their working migrant women.

Within the Philippines, women who dare to stand up against their economic exploitation and oppression face systematic suppression by the state, especially those in the countryside facing the worst of state violence. They face the brunt of fascist attacks and war crimes; extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and violence, unjust arrest and detention. Young girls and children also become victim to the war crimes perpetrated by the govt and its military.

Because of these conditions, working and progressive women continue play an integral and leading role in fighting for human rights, economic justice, and genuine liberation. This International Working Women’s Day, ICHRP-US celebrates women who continue to fight for justice and the self-determination of the Filipino people in the face fascist repression.

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NTF-ELCAC Continues Campaign of Violating International Humanitarian Law

ICHRP-US welcomes the news the Chantal Anicoche has been released from the Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) custody and is returning to the US. At the same time, we are alarmed and concerned by the statement from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that hypocritically asserts their adherence to law and due process, their role in maintaining safety, and their concern for youth being pulled into conflict zones under the guise of immersion and solidarity missions. ICHRP-US condemns their attempt to cover human rights violations. ICHRP-US supports peoples’ rights to stand in solidarity with those fighting for their land and livelihood, the right to demand accountability for state violence, and the right of people on the ground to fight oppression.

The NTF-ELCAC was established under former president Rodrigo Duterte, currently being held by the ICC for crimes against humanity, as a part of his vicious crackdown on dissent and the extreme expansion of surveillance and militarization of the government bureaucracy. The agency continues to be well-known for using torture tactics to force false confessions from kidnapped or abducted people about alleged roles in revolutionary organizations; filing of trumped up cases based on false evidence against activists; among other tactics under the Marcos Regime.

In light of this, it is very alarming that Chantal was held for at least three weeks “for medical treatment” without apparent injuries, but was unable to speak publicly, contact friends, and had no access to trusted and impartial legal support. The government forces have notoriously shown a pattern of torture and psychological warfare against abducted activists. Chantal was likely subjected to these same violations. The NTF-ELCAC’s narrative of events aligns with their pattern of lies, misdirection, deflection, and terror-tagging that they have been repeatedly exposed for. Terror-tagging is a practice used to cover up the Marcos Regime’s war crimes for the sake of maintaining economic control favoring corporations over the people.

The NTF-ELCAC focus on Chantal is a misdirection while they continue their campaign of terror unleashed in Mindoro. The whole island has remained under de-facto martial law with the AFP occupying the region to suppress the protests of indigenous and peasant communities. Increased surveillance, restriction of movement, and indiscriminate bombings are features of the AFP in the region. This is in stark violation of International Humanitarian Law [IHL] which prohibits the flattening of the distinction between civilians and combatants and upholds the protection of civilians. Aerial bombings violate both of these aspects of IHL. Furthermore, IHL specifies the humane treatment of those in detainment which is also routinely violated by the AFP.

ICHRP-US is relieved that Chantal has returned to the US. We also condemn the AFP for violations of IHL including killing civilians and displacing families in Mindoro, and holding Chantal without access to communications and legal support. ICHRP-US stands in firm solidarity with the communities who bear these heavy attacks and reiterate the justness of integrating with, learning from, and fighting alongside them in their struggle against state violence and oppression. ICHRP-US calls on all peace and justice loving peoples in the US to condemn the fascist attacks in Mindoro and across the Philippines and stand in solidarity with those who dare to resist!

Stop the killings! Stop the bombings! End the IHL violations!

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ICHRP-US Condemns The War on Venezuela

ICHRP-US condemns the criminal and blatant violation of the sovereignty of Venezuela and international law during the early hours of January 3rd. President Trump directed the US armed forces to carry out a land, sea, and air space operation against the people of Venezuela, the President of, Nicolas Maduro, and the first lady. This is the most recent in a series of military actions by Trump aiming to reassert US dominance in the world against its rivals. Trump and the US government and military are outright describing this criminal act as securing American economic claims over the Venezuelan people’s natural resources. 

While the US describes Venezuela as a “narco-terrorist” state, ruled by a dictator, they have made it clear that their interest lay in the vast oil wealth of the South American nation. Being one of the highest oil producing countries regionally, and whose number one buyer of oil is China, Venezuela’s rapidly growing economy and resistance to US intervention has angered the US to the point of military aggression and daylight theft of assets and resources. A similar tactic used in other countries for similar types of intervention, the “narco-terrorist” state is used as thin political cover to achieve their economic goals and cripple the capacity to enable those the US sees as enemies.

ICHRP-US sees this affront to national sovereignty and violation of international law as a clear companion to the many instances of similar violence and economic domination that plague the Philippines at the hands of the US. The US continues to provide training, logistics, and funding for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who carry out US-designed counter-insurgency programs. Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte famously used the “war on drugs” as a cover for the extrajudicial killing of 30,000+ Filipinos. Using the same language as the US has now used to stem the tide of drugs coming into the country, the violence enacted against the people went unchecked and even now despite Duterte being held in the Hague justice eludes the victims of the families of his violence.

Under current president Marcos Jr. similar instances of extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, harassments, aerials bombings are being carried out against those who oppose the government’s attempt at landgrabbing and resistance to foreign corporations, like those from US, who are extracting resources while leaving the local population poor. Instead of the war on drugs, the political cover used is targeting the New People’s Army who the government deems a terrorist organization, however it is the government itself who violates daily International Humanitarian Law. On New Year’s day, AFP bombed the indigenous community of Brgy. Cabacao, Abra De Ilog, Occidental Mindoro in a vain attempt to target the New People’s Army during the holiday ceasefire. This attack, and the US bombing of Venezuela, are attacks on the sovereignty of the Philippines and Venezuela. These are the realities of the US drive for plunder, of further seeking to divide up the world and exploit people and land. 

The similarities between the attacks on Venezuela and in the Philippines show clearly the US’ willingness to willfully ignore international law, national sovereignty, and basic human rights when they have economic and political goals. A common theme is building economic and military dominance against China which the US has been vocal about. ICHRP-US calls on all peace loving peoples to stand together in condemning this heinous and dangerous act and demand the end to US militarism and intervention in Latin America and around the world.

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ICHRP-US Condemns Harassment of International Solidarity Mission Participants

ICHRP-US condemns the surveillance and harassment of delegates of the International Solidarity Mission (ISM) of the Asia-Pacific People’s Conference Against Climate Imperialism and Militarism by agents of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). This past week, Delegates from all over the world have traveled to the Philippines to bear witness to the conditions of rural communities most impacted by US militarism, capitalist plunder and the fascist attacks of the US-backed Marcos Regime. Since their first day, they have faced surveillance by intelligence agents of the military and police at the delegates’ lodgings, unidentified individuals on motorcycles or through aerial drones, and by army soldiers encamped in the rural communities. Despite the harassment faced, the peasant and indigenous communities at the frontline of environmental defense and militarization have expressed their gratitude at welcoming the delegates and sharing their stories of repression from the military and government. 

This harassment is one manifestation of the many different types of attacks Filipino people face under the US-backed Counterinsurgency plan of the Marcos Regime, disguised as a “National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development” or NAP-UPD. Under Marcos Jr. the AFP has encamped in rural communities across the Philippines, subjecting community leaders and organization to interrogation and intense harassment. Farmers are killed and later claimed to be armed combatants. Indigenous peoples are bombed from the sky and strafed with machine gun fire. The de-facto martial law of the NAP-UPD has tried to hide what is happening in these rural communities from the rest of the Philippines and the world. This ISM is historic for breaking the military’s criminal information blockade. 

These attacks are an attempt to deter and instill fear amongst the peoples of the world expressing solidarity with the peoples of the Philippines. The attacks themselves already expose the true nature  of the NAP-UPD and the Marcos Regime’s. Like all previous US-backed counter-insurgency programs of the Philippine government, this will fail to break our solidarity and fail to crush the Filipino people’s resistance. 

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ICHRP-US On Marcos’ 4th State of the Nation Address

The lies Philippines president BongBong Marcos Jr. delivered during his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday,cannot hide the role he played in perpetuating the suffering and exploitation of the Filipino people through his continued subservience to US interests.. While not touching on his trip to the U.S. this past week, the outcomes of that visit showed in actions that he does not carry the interests of the Filipino people.. He shamefully cowtowed to the trade agreements that heavily favor the U.S. at the expense of the Philippines and further entrenched military agreements that add fuel to the tinderbox of potential war in the Asia-Pacific. But the Filipino people  stand resolute in their struggle against his fascist policies and vicious attacks marked by the continuation of unchecked human rights violations and war crimes, deepening of the economic crisis through agricultural policies that undermine local livelihoods and sell out the economy to foreign corporations and governments, and the negative impacts of the ongoing militarization of the country.

For decades, Philippines presidents have allowed the growth of U.S. military infrastructure, even after successful popular movements kicked out the bases at various points in time. Under Marcos it has been no different as U.S. military presence has continued to surge.  Washington has poured $66.5 million in 2022 to accelerate construction at five bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), followed by an additional $18 million in 2023 alongside its annual $82 million EDCA allocation. The Philippines also granted the U.S. access to four new military sites, while Subic Bay, despite not being an EDCA site, received U.S.-funded infrastructure upgrades. Throughout 2025, the “ironclad” military commitment has been repeatedly reaffirmed through military aid packages and billions in weapons sales. This past week while Marcos visited with U.S. Sec of Defense Hegseth, the latter declared “The United States is committed to achieving peace through strength…We’re also deploying new cutting-edge missiles and…unmanned systems, and revitalizing our defense industrial bases,” he said. “Together, we must forge a strong shield of real deterrence for peace, ensuring the long-term security and prosperity for our nations.” The “prosperity” and “security” Hegseth refers to is the continued exploitation and plunder of Philippines resources and unrestricted access to the economy, forcing the Philippines to be on the frontlines of a hot war with China. This continued military build up in the name of peace continues to needlessly escalate tensions, undermines national sovereignty of the Philippines, endangers the Filipino people, and ignores the root causes of conflict with the Philippines itself.

The recent announcement of the U.S. building an ammunition factory ultimately serves US security and economic interests. It further exemplifies the willingness of the Marcos’ government to allow U.S. military infrastructure on Philippines soil which not only makes the Philippines a target in the conflict with China but also undermines the economy and forces more Filipinos into highly exploitative work that serves a purpose that is against their own interest. Allowing a foreign corporation to profit from the production of ammunition for the U.S. government fits the pattern of prioritizing profit over the needs of the people on the ground like social programs or infrastructure development that would protect against the current flooding which has destroyed thousands of people’s homes and livelihood.

While Marcos ran on a platform of supporting farmers and promises of growing the economy, the national debt has soared as it did under his father, jobs have become scarcer driving up the unemployment rate especially in the manufacturing industry which has seen a significant decrease as more factories are shuddered. The lack of jobs is a major driver of Filipinos going abroad for work and contributes to the migrant crisis in places like the U.S. where people experience racism and neglect by their own government. Establishing ammunition factories and military bases is not the solution that people are asking for and clearly serves the interests of the U.S.

ICHRP-US calls on all solidarity allies to continue to expose the lies of Philippine President Marcos and stand in solidarity with the Filipino people in opposing Marcos’ anti-people policies!