35. The Philippines, Second Session (The Hague, 21-25 March 2007)

From 21 to 23 March 2007, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal held a second session on the Philippines in The Hague. This session was conceived as a direct follow-up to, and further examination of, the session held in 1980. This session formally examined charges against two parties: the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; and the Government of the United States of America, led by President George W. Bush.

In its conclusions, the Tribunal found all charges against Presidents Arroyo and Bush to be substantiated by documentation and witness testimony. The Tribunal emphasised that the described acts of violence – including extrajudicial killings, torture, massacres, and the destruction of communities – were not isolated incidents but rather manifestations of a single, coherent strategy aimed at systematically violating human rights and the rights of peoples.

The Judgement classifies the violations committed by the Philippine government, with the full and knowing support of the US administration, as outright crimes against humanity and demands that they cease immediately. The Tribunal also establishes collusion between the two governments in implementing the so-called ‘war on terror’ in Southeast Asia. This was conducted in violation of national sovereignty and the Philippine Constitution. The Tribunal highlights the central and structural role of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as the executive instrument of this policy. The AFP also guarantees the associated impunity.

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