Berlin, December 12, 2024 – The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) – Germany was launched in Berlin to mark the 76th International Human Rights Day. The event brought together Filipinos, Germans, and other international solidarity supporters. ICHRP-Germany aims to amplify the campaigns for human rights in the Philippines, expand the solidarity network and promote wide global support for the cause.
Under the theme “Living Solidarity – ICHRP Germany for Human Rights in the Philippines,” the event opened with a discussion on human rights violations in the Philippines, led by Cynthia Deduro of Gabriela Germany. A victim of human rights abuses herself, Deduro recounted being forced to seek asylum in Germany due to government harassment targeting her and her husband for their activism and staunch defense of human rights. She emphasized the worsening situation under the Marcos regime, highlighting the continous and even worsening human rights abuses from Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to his son, the current Presidnet Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She added that there had been no fundamental changes to the dismal human rights situation in the Philippines.
The discussion followed by testimonies of Revd. Christopher Ablon and Kiri Dalena on the genesis and development of their activism. Dalena, a Filipina filmmaker and human rights activist, revealed that her desire for film making exposed her to basic sectors in society who fell victims of human rights violations. These strengthened her resolve to engage in activism and expose these social injustices using the lens of her camera. She added that because of her activism, she and other activists were charged with perjury filed by the National Security Adviser and retired general Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.
Reb Chris, a Filipino priest, activist and musician, recounted that his faith and ministry shaped his engagement in activism. He shared that it started with his involvement with the ecological justice campaign programs of the Church, then later in human rights and peace activism. He live by the conviction to stay grounded in the faith that humans are made in God’s image. He also mentioned the failed “riding in tandem” attempt on his life together with five other priests in Manila in 2019 and the intensified red-tagging against him in 2022 and 2023 that eventually forced him to leave the country.
The launching was also graced by congratulatory messages by Peter Murphy, chairperson of the ICHRP Global Council and Christina Palabay, chairperson of KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples’ Rights in the Philippines. Both emphasized the importance and urgency of international solidarity to expose and fight against the grave human rights abuses under the US-supported Marcos Jr. regime.
The event concluded with group discussions where relevant recommendations and perspectives on next steps forward and desired activities to further campaign for the protection of human rights in the Philippines were collected. As a manifestation, the participants created two placards, one with a call for the release of Tomas Dominado, a political prisoners, arrested only a few day before December 5; and one placard calling for action and accountability: “Kung hindi tayo, sino? Kung hindi ngayon, kalian? (If it is not us, who will? If it is not now, when will it be?).##