Philippines

Human rights defenders continue to report targeted violence and harassment by the government, as well as red-tagging, the labeling of individuals or organizations as communists, terrorists, or subversives to discredit and provoke harassment against them. Women land and environmental defenders are on the frontlines of protecting their communities, yet face heightened risks of being targeted. Intermittent violence between the national army and rebel communist forces continues to impact communities in conflict-affected areas, with competition over resources posing additional risks for Indigenous and rural communities. Extractive industries create heightened risks for women and girls, including displacement, disruption of livelihoods, and exposure to contaminated land and water.  
Amid ongoing political, economic, and conflict-related challenges, women continue to play a critical role in peacebuilding and recovery efforts, particularly in the BARMM, yet remain largely excluded from formal decision-making spaces. At the national level, the Philippines maintains a robust commitment to implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, and was the first Asian country to adopt a WPS National Action Plan. The establishment of the WPS Center of Excellence in the Office of the Presidential Advisor for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity in 2024 marked a major milestone, with the center serving as a platform for embedding and localizing the WPS Agenda. However, implementation gaps remain, particularly as repeated delays to the BARMM parliamentary elections have prolonged the region’s transitional governance and implementation of the 30 percent gender quota. Ensuring women’s meaningful participation in the elections and subsequent governance will be critical to translating their longstanding contributions to peacebuilding into sustained political influence.

The Philippine government has declared a national energy emergency as the conflict in the Middle East disrupts the global energy supply and drives surging fuel prices. This resulting economic strain has forced a downgrade of the country’s credit rating outlook, with experts warning that between 1.1 million and 3.1 million Filipinos could be pushed into poverty.  In response, major transit groups have staged strikes to protest the government’s handling of the crisis, disrupting public transportation systems that informal-sector workers largely depend on. For low-income and marginalized households—particularly women-headed households reliant on informal labor and public transport—higher energy and transport costs risk reducing purchasing power and increasing economic insecurity.

The energy crisis is accelerating renewed interest in domestic fossil fuel extraction, including plans to explore oil and gas reserves in the Liguasan Marsh within the conflict-affected region of Mindanao. The push to expand domestic energy production and reduce import dependence risks exacerbating tensions related to land use, resource governance, and the marginalization and displacement of Indigenous and Moro communities. Women environmental defenders, particularly in Indigenous communities in the region, face heightened risks of physical and digital harassment, intimidation, and violence. Increased reliance on coal and ecosystem disruption may also heighten exposure to climate shocks in a country already experiencing severe energy-related strains, including fuel shortages and service interruptions. These intersecting pressures risk further compounding existing socioeconomic inequalities that disproportionately impact women and girls, particularly in rural, Indigenous, and climate-vulnerable communities.

A female university student leader was among at least 19 people killed in a clash between Philippine security forces and the New People’s Army. Authorities allege that those killed had links to insurgent networks, while civil society groups have raised concerns about the potential use of force against civilians, noting that the affiliations of several of the victims—including two Americans—remain contested. The incident has prompted the Commission on Human Rights to open an independent investigation amid allegations that activists and community members may have been targeted. The violence underscores the persistence of localized insurgency dynamics—including gendered-protection risks, particularly in rural regions of the Philippines where women face compounded risks associated with their social and political activism.

Philippine President Marcos has officially signed into law a measure resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the BARMM to September 14, 2026. Lawmakers maintain that the postponement is essential to ensure a credible, peaceful, and inclusive electoral process following the earlier failure to meet the March 2026 deadline. However, civil society groups and election monitors warn that repeated delays risk undermining public trust in and slowing the implementation of key reforms, including the 30 percent quota for women party nominees designed to enhance the participation of women. Although voter registration has resumed, election monitors warn that continued political uncertainty could jeopardize local stability and the long-term recovery efforts of conflict-affected communities in the region.

A newly proposed bill in the Philippines House of Representatives seeks to strengthen legal protections for women and children by expanding the definition of rape to center on the absence of consent and imposing harsher penalties—particularly for perpetrators in positions of authority. The legislation also introduces procedural safeguards, including mandatory reporting and stronger protections for victim privacy, in response to persistent underreporting driven by stigma and barriers to justice. If enacted and effectively implemented, these reforms could improve accountability for sexual violence and reduce institutional barriers to access to justice for survivors.  

The International Criminal Court has concluded pretrial hearings in the case against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to his violent “war on drugs.” Prosecutors argued that Duterte played a central role in a campaign that resulted in thousands of deaths and had broader social and gendered consequences that are still being felt. The judges will now decide whether to confirm the charges and move the case forward to a full trial, which would offer an opportunity for justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, including women activists.