The Commission on Human Rights condemns the brutal killing of a woman peasant leader in Northern Samar on Friday, 17 January 2020, by unidentified gunmen.

A staunch human rights defender, Jennifer Tonag was an organiser of the Northern Samar Farmers Association (NSFA) who helped farmers in defending their land rights and demanding relief for victims of calamities.

The CHR Regional Office has already dispatched a Quick Response Team to conduct an independent investigation of the case.

Tonag is just one of the many victims that have faced reprisals due to exposing State-perpetrated human rights violations and demanding for justice and accountability.

The Commission reiterates its call to the government that it must desist from all forms of violence and harassments against human rights defenders. These attacks are in the context of increasing number of reported extrajudicial killings in rural areas alongside the intensified counterinsurgency program of the government.

We amplify the clamour of the human rights community to repeal Executive Order No. 70, creating a national task force to end local communist armed conflict and institutionalising the so-called whole of nation approach, and all other policies that criminalise the work of human rights defenders and activists.

Similarly, we strongly urge our legislators to prioritise the enactment and full implementation of a Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill that will give legal recognition and protection of the rights of defenders in the conduct of their work, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Human Rights Defenders.

As a nation, let us all remember the words of the late Kofi Annan who noted that “when the rights of human rights defenders are violated, all of our rights are put in jeopardy and all of us are made less safe.”

Human rights defenders are people’s partners for peace and inclusive development. They are not the enemy but are watchdogs ensuring that the government is not abusing its power and effectively doing its job.

The CHR calls for justice for the death of Tonag and all the human rights defenders in the country and around the world who sacrificed their lives to create a better future for everyone, especially for the marginalised, vulnerable and disadvantaged segments of our society.