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Philippines

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

June 2024

Senator Leila de Lima freed after seven years

On 24 June, a regional trial court acquitted former senator Leila de Lima on the last of three cases she faced related to conspiracy to commit drug trading. Leila de Lima was previously granted bail in November 2023, after having been held in pre-trial detention for nearly seven years on charges widely believed to be politically motivated and in return for her criticism of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” campaign. Legal and rights experts have welcomed the long overdue verdict, urging the government to investigate those responsible for the unfounded allegations that led to her arbitrary detention.

Sources: Rappler, Amnesty International, Al Jazeera, International IDEA

May 2024

Supreme Court declares ‘red tagging’ a threat to life

On 8 May, the Supreme Court (SC) issued a landmark ruling that declared accusing someone of having ties to the Communist insurgency (known locally as ‘red-tagging’) a threat to life, liberty, and security, potentially justifying the issuance of protection orders for those so-affected. The decision marks the first time a court has explicitly defined red-tagging, providing a legal basis for persons challenging the practice. For decades, government or law enforcement agencies have used red-tagging (or red-baiting) to accuse thousands of critics or oppositional figures of ties with the country’s Communist insurgency, endangering them of enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killings. The SC decision stems from a 2020 petition filed by activist and former lawmaker Siegfried Deduro who was red-tagged by the military and faced harassment. Rights experts hope this ruling will set a precedent for pending red-tagging complaints and have urged the legislature to pass laws that criminalise unfounded communist accusations (which are most often made by government officials).  

Sources: Human Rights Watch, Rappler (1), Republic of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, Amnesty International, Rappler (2), Supreme Court of the Philippines

December 2023

Executive order for special committee on LGBTQIA+ issues
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued an executive order (EO No. 51) on 22 December 2023, creating a Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ Affairs under the Inter-Agency Committee. The Committee aims to address discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community, ensuring its participation in government policy formation. While rights advocates welcomed the move, others such as Bahaghari (an alliance of LGBTQIA+ organizations) have described the order as “insufficient,” urging Congress to instead prioritize the passage of the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill that has been pending in Congress for years, noting that “we do not need a committee or special group . . . but a concrete law that will protect every Filipino from discrimination based on gender.”

Sources: The Philippine Star, CNN Philippines, Official Gazette of the Republic of Philippines, Manila Today

July 2023

“War on drugs” continues

More than 300 drug-related killings have occurred since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last year, according to figures compiled by the University of Philippines program Dahas. Human rights experts note that there has been little progress since in the country's internal investigation into the drug-related killings. As a result, the International Criminal Court (ICC) moved to disregard the Philippines' objections on 18 July, clearing the way for an imminent probe. The government has said it will not cooperate with the ICC investigation, stating that it is not within the court’s jurisdiction. At the same time, the persecution of journalists and former critics of the war on drugs continues to be prolonged. Notably, Leila de Lima, a former senator known for her critical stance against the war on drugs, remains in police custody after being denied bail earlier in June.

Sources: Rappler, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2023

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Representation
90/173
Rights
96/173
Rule of Law
104/173
Participation
64/173
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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
115,559,009
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Bongbong Marcos (since 2022)
Head of government party
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
Parallel
Women in lower or single chamber
27.3%
Women in upper chamber
29.2%
Last legislative election
2022
Head of state
President Bongbong Marcos
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (plurality)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
14/11/2022
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
74.4%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
State Party
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
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high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
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high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
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high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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