As we commemorate the United Nations World Wildlife Day this week, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) believes that one vital way to protect the environment is to safeguard the rights of our environmental defenders.

Environmentalists in the Philippines risk their lives every time they go out in the field to do scientific research. Despite their genuine intention to protect ecosystems and empower communities, environmental defenders experience unjust labelling as dangerous threats to national security and are subjected to various forms of harassment and attacks. This is regardless of peacefully carrying out their profession and responsibly exercising their rights to freedom of speech, association, and assembly.

In 2010, the country’s top-most botanist Dr Leonard Co and his two aides were killed by the military upon mistaken identity as rebels during a combat operation in Kananga, Leyte. This incident illustrates the precarious situation of environmentalists in rural areas where armed conflicts occur. More than nine years have passed and their deaths have not seen the light of justice yet. Worse, the government even downgraded the criminal charges against the soldiers responsible from murder to homicide, a lesser charge.

Civilians’ rights to security of person are under constant threat of violation as reckless tagging results in killing of innocent and defenseless people. The lack of awareness and complete disregard for human rights and humanitarian law by both state and non-state armed elements hinder full advancement of our national interest and comprise our constitutional right to a safe and healthy environment.

The Commission continues to monitor the case of Dr. Co since it first launched an investigation in 2010. Consistently, the CHR denounces the attacks, intimidation, and murders of environmental defenders and calls for better protection of environmental rights and the people standing up for these rights. ###