[0:00]We are appalled by the apparently arbitrary killing of nine activists in simultaneously simultaneous police military operations in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces, surrounding the Metro Manila area in the Philippines in the early hours of Sunday morning.
[0:17]According to information we have received, the eight men and one woman were killed in joint police and military operations that reportedly became began around 3:15 AM on Sunday to execute search warrants issued by a Manila court.
[0:33]Now, the government has informed us that the operation was based on search warrants issued in the context of counter-insurgency campaigns against the New People's Army.
[0:44]The execution of these search warrants, often conducted at night time, has resulted in killings on previous occasions as well.
[0:51]On the 30th of December 2020, nine to Mandok indigenous people's rights activists were killed during joint operations to execute search warrants in Panay.
[1:02]We are deeply worried that these latest killings indicate an escalation in violence, intimidation and harassment and red tagging of human rights defenders.
[1:13]There is a history of human rights advocates being red tagged or being accused of being fronts for the armed wing of the Communist party in the Philippines.
[1:22]In our June 2020 report, the High Commissioner warned that such public labeling has proved extremely dangerous and she urged the protection of human rights defenders, journalists and others at risk.
[1:34]In recent months, there have been dozens of other activists and several journalists arrested, including on Human Rights Day on the 10th of December 2020.
