13-9-2023 (MANILA) The Philippines, for the 10th consecutive year, has retained its unenviable position as the deadliest country in Asia for individuals defending their land and the environment, according to recent research. This alarming trend has raised concerns among advocates who fear that the current administration’s promotion of mining and infrastructure projects will further endanger the lives of activists.
Since Global Witness began reporting on the killings of land and environmental activists in 2012, the Philippines has consistently ranked as the worst place in Asia. In 2022, eleven out of the 16 lethal attacks in Asia occurred in the Philippines.
Tragically, individuals such as Richard Mendoza, Lumad volunteer teachers Chad Errol Booc and Gelejurain Ngujo II, Elgyn Balonga, Robert Aragon, Tirso Añar, Joseph Jimenez, peasant organizer Ericson Acosta, Silvestre Fortades Jr., Rose Marie Galias, and Eugene Lastrella lost their lives last year.
On a global scale, the Philippines ranked as the fifth most dangerous country for environmentalists in 2022. Colombia topped Global Witness’ ranking with 60 killings, followed by Brazil with 34, Mexico with 31, and Honduras with 14.
The recent report by the London-based watchdog, released on Wednesday, revealed that at least 177 defenders lost their lives last year, equating to an average of one activist murdered every other day. Of these, indigenous peoples, who depend on their lands and natural resources for their livelihoods, accounted for more than a third of the lethal attacks, with 64 killings last year. Since 2012, a staggering 1,910 people have been killed for protecting the environment.
Global Witness lamented that the escalating climate crisis and the rising demand for agricultural commodities, fuel, and minerals will only increase the pressure on the environment and those who risk their lives to defend it.
In the Philippines, approximately 281 land and environmental defenders have been killed since 2012, with a third of the killings associated with those opposing mining operations.
Revitalizing the mining sector has become a priority for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration, following the lifting of a ban on new mining operations by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to enhance regional cooperation to boost the mineral value chain, vital for the transition to renewable energy.
The Philippines, being the fifth most mineral-rich country globally, produces minerals essential for clean energy technologies, including copper and nickel. The report highlighted the ongoing struggle of Sibuyan Island residents against nickel exploration, fearing it would destroy their home’s intact ecosystem, known as the “Galápagos of Asia.” These residents successfully thwarted the operations of Altai Philippines Mining Company earlier this year, with the Supreme Court issuing a writ of kalikasan, a legal remedy for the protection of the right to a healthy environment, against the mining firm and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Environmentalists and communities in the Philippines who protect the environment and oppose destructive projects often face vilification and false accusations of supporting communist insurgency. Many environmentalists have experienced harassment, and some have been abducted.
The silence of the Marcos administration on the “human rights crisis” faced by Filipino environmental defenders has drawn criticism. Advocates argue that systemic changes are needed to reverse the dangerous environment for activists, including holding government agencies accountable for red-tagging and reviewing or repealing the Anti-Terrorism Act, which has been used to criminalize environmental and land activists.
