The Commission on Human Rights (CHR), through its National Capital Region office and a composite team from the CHR Human Rights Protection Office from the Central Office, monitored the series of protest actions to denounce the widespread corruption in government on Sunday, 21 September 2025.

CHR teams were dispatched at the Luneta Park, the EDSA Shrine, and in Quezon City and various protest sites in Manila, including the Ayala Bridge, Mendiola, and Recto Avenue. A CHR team was also deployed the Manila Polce District (MPD) Headquarters.

Protest assemblies were noted to be peaceful in the morning at the Luneta Park with a number of sectors participating, including labour, youth, student, religious, and environmental organisations among others, observed in attendance.

Tensions, however, escalated at random places in Manila where clashes between groups and police were observed in the afternoon.

The Commission reiterates that protests hold a rightful place in a democratic society. However, the exercise of rights must not endanger others or compromise public safety. Likewise, while the State may regulate assemblies to preserve public order, such measures must always comply with human rights standards, guided by the principles of necessity, proportionality, and accountability.

As such, CHR continues to consolidate documentation and testimonies gathered by all deployed monitoring teams. Monitoring of cases and developments remains ongoing, including reports of the harassment of media personnel at one protest site. The CHR will likewise continue to monitor the condition of detained individuals, particularly minors. Further impartial inquiry will also be undertaken regarding reports that law enforcement authorities may have violated the police rules of procedure on the use of force, and to determine whether grave human rights violations were committed. ###