At the request of organisations representing the two peoples, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal held a session on the Philippines and the Bangsa-Moro people in Antwerp from 30 October to 3 November 1980. The session examined human rights and peoples’ rights violations committed by the Ferdinand Marcos regime, as well as the roles of foreign powers, multinational corporations, and international financial institutions. The relationship between authoritarianism, economic dependence, and external interference was analysed.
In its Judgement, the Tribunal recognised that the situation in the Philippines constituted a form of neo-colonialism that undermined the peoples’ right to self-determination. The Tribunal affirmed the responsibility of the Marcos regime and the United States in perpetuating this system and highlighted the role of multinational corporations and international financial institutions in the country’s economic exploitation. The Tribunal also called on the international community to adopt measures aimed at ending the established violations and ensuring the effective exercise of the peoples’ rights.
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