Rodrigo Duterte has ‘emboldened’ killers of Philippine land rights activists, watchdog says

Campaigners who challenge powerful logging, mining and fruit growing interests have long faced deadly violence in the Philippines

‘The president’s brutal ‘war on drugs’ has fostered a culture of impunity and fear,’ Global Witness report says

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Activists pay tribute to companions killed or abducted, allegedly by the military. Photo: AP

Published: 1:27pm, 24 Sep 2019Updated: 1:46pm, 25 Sep 2019

Murders of environmental activists and land defenders in the Philippines have risen sharply under President Rodrigo Duterte, an international rights watchdog said on Tuesday, alleging his speeches and policies have “emboldened” the killers.

Campaigners who challenge powerful logging, mining and fruit growing interests have long faced deadly violence in the Philippines, but the recent increase marked a “disturbing” jump, according to a report from Global Witness.

In July, the group said 30 killings in the Philippines last year made it the deadliest country in the world for land defenders – a first since the group began reporting such deaths in 2012.

“Since President Duterte came to power, there’s been a huge increase in the killings of land and environmental defenders including indigenous activists,” senior Global Witness campaigner Ben Leather said.

The report said the toll was at least 113 since Duterte became president in mid-2016, while no fewer than 65 were killed in the three years before his rule.

“The president’s aggressive rhetoric against defenders, coupled with the climate of violence and impunity fostered by his drugs war, has only made things worse,” Leather added.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP

Duterte’s presidency has been marked by his internationally condemned anti-drugs campaign that authorities say has resulted in more than 5,500 dealers or users being gunned down by police. Rights groups say the true toll is at least four times as high.