On the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) joins the families and friends of the disappeared, advocates and human rights defenders, in renewing the calls to end involuntary disappearance and human rights violations in the Philippines.
Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) documented 2,586 reported victims of enforced disappearances in the country since the dictatorship of Marcos Sr. To this day, 1,183 have yet to be found.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s legacy of human rights violations lives on through his son with 38 reported cases of enforced disappearances only two years into his presidency. This includes Elgene Mungcal, Lyn Grace Martullinas, and Deah Lopez – women human rights defenders who dedicated their lives in pursuit of social justice.
The most recent case involves environmental defender Rowena Dasig, who has been missing since August 22, 2024. She was arrested and detained on July 12, 2023, by the 85th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Quezon while doing community research. On August 13, charges against her were dismissed due to lack of evidence. She was reportedly released from the Lucena City District Jail on August 22, but no one has seen or heard from her since.
Despite the enactment of the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act – the first of its kind in Asia, activists and human rights defenders are at risk of abduction and disappearance. The Marcos Jr. administration, which presents itself as a champion of human rights in international spaces, is culpable for the continuing attacks against human rights defenders and widespread impunity. The number of desaparecidos continues to rise and justice is yet to be served.
These desaparecidos, who are usually political activists, human rights defenders, and leaders of labor unions and peasant organizations, are from the poorest sectors of society who have been systematically marginalized and are left with no choice but to protect themselves and their rights in the different forms available to them.
We demand that the national government address the crisis—the very issue that compels women and the people to rise up to defend their lives and rights—rather than undermining the freedoms and security of individuals and organizations. Such actions only cause distress to families and communities and ultimately erode public trust in the institutions meant to protect and serve.
The Center for Women’s Resources condemns all forms of enforced disappearances and human rights violations. We join organizations and individuals in supporting victims and their families in their quest for justice, to ensure that such violations are never tolerated, and in holding the current and past administrations accountable for their crimes against the people.Uphold and respect the rights and dignity of human rights defenders! Surface all victims of enforced disappearances!
