Like many other organizations, Protection International addressed a letter this morning to the President of the Philippines to express its deep concern and indignation regarding the increasing criminalization of human rights defenders in the Philippines and particularly the recent petition filed in court listing indigenous peoples’ leaders and human rights defenders as terrorist and outlaws, under the National Security Act of 2007.

We strongly call on the Philippine government to:

1. Remove the names of indigenous peoples’ leaders and human rights defenders from the list of alleged terrorists;

2. Ensure the physical safety of indigenous peoples’ leaders and human rights defenders; and

3. Abide by State obligations to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

• Read PI’s letter to the Government of the Philippines

• Join the appeal for support!

• Karapatan, an organization with whom PI has been collaborating for many years, is part of the organization whose staff is listed in the government’s terror list. Read Karapatan statement

For individuals who wish to endorse this letter, you can sign on to our letter here! http://bit.ly/2Fw56lm

Filed on February 21, 2018, the petition named at least 567 individuals, among them nearly 50 human rights defenders, including the following:

VICTORIA TAULI CORPUZ, current United Nations Special Rapporteur on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples, former Chairperson of the UN Permanent

Forum on Indigenous Peoples and former Secretary General of the

Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA);

ELISA TITA LUBI, current Karapatan National Executive Committee member,

former interim Regional Coordinator of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women,

Law and Development (APWLD) and founding Vice Chairperson of Gabriela

Women’s Party;

BEVERLY LONGID, current global coordinator of the International

Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation

(IPMSDL), former CPA Chair and current Advisory Council member;

JOAN CARLING, current Member and Co-Convenor of the Indigenous Peoples

Major Group for the Sustainable Development Goals, former Secretary

General of the Asian Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP), and former

member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues;

ATTY. JOSE MOLINTAS, former Asia representative to the UN Expert

Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), former CPA Chair

and current Advisory Council member;

JOANNA CARIÑO, member of the CPA Advisory Council and Co-Chair of the

SANDUGO Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self Determination;

WINDEL BOLINGET, current Chairperson of the CPA and National Co-convenor

of KATRIBU National Alliance of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines;

JEANETTE RIBAYA-CAWIDING, former Chairperson of CPA-Tongtongan ti Umali

and current Regional Coordinator of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers

– Cordillera;

SHERWIN DE VERA, Regional Coordinator of DEFEND Ilocos, member of the

Save The Abra River Movement (STARM) and former Secretary General of the

Ilocos Human Rights Alliance-Karapatan

DATU ISIDRO INDAO, _Matigsalog-Manobo_ village chief, council member of

the PASAKA Lumad Confederation in Southern Mindanao and an active member

of the Parent-Teacher Community Association of the Lumad School run by

the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc.;

DATU MANDAYHON HAN-AYAN, _Talaandig _village chief in Malaybalay, Bukid

and member of the PIGYAYONGAAN Lumad organization;

DATU MANDAYHON, a _Talaandig_ village chief and member of the

PIGYAYONGAAN Lumad organization;

SERGIO LUMONDAY, a _Manobo_ and the Tinananon Kulamanon Lumadnong

Panaghiusa secretary general;

ZARA ALVAREZ, Research and Advocacy Officer of the Negros Island Health

Integrated Program (NIHIP) and former Campaign and Education Director of

Karapatan-Negros chapter

ROMULO BITO-ON, Regional Coordinator of Makabayan-Negros and member of

the Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA)

ROGINA NAVARRO QUILOP, Administrative Officer of the Center for

People’s Resources and Services (CPRS)-Negros

ISIDRO CASTILLO, former Chairperson of the National Federation of Sugar

Workers (NFSW)

ARNOLD EVANGELISTA and ERLINDO BAES, officers of the Batangas Human

Rights Alliance-Karapatan