The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has denounced what it described as “harassment and threats” against families of victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on the poor”, following his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last month.
In a statement released on April 1, ICHRP said the victims and their families, represented by the human rights group Rise Up for Life and for Rights (Rise Up), have faced a spike in online hate speech and death threats since Duterte’s March 11 arrest by the ICC.
“These are clearly funded and supported by the Duterte camp in an attempt to silence and intimidate the victims to not testify as witnesses or cooperate with the ICC,” the group said.
Citing findings from the data forensics group The Nerve, ICHRP noted that Duterte’s supporter networks have deployed paid Facebook advertisements to manipulate discourse around the former president’s arrest. “In one particular Facebook page, the paid ads’ budget ranged from P1,000 to P1,499 (USD 17.44 to USD 26.15),” the statement read.
According to the group, the campaign made use of vlogger networks and embedded propaganda in entertainment communities and fan pages, turning social media platforms into tools for political messaging. ICHRP said the most expensive of these ads reached over one million viewers and carried synchronized messaging across various platforms.
Among the “false narratives” amplified online were claims of “unfair treatment of Duterte during his arrest” and “targeted online attacks on victims’ families, their legal counsels, and those supportive of the movement for justice.”
“The Duterte camp, in desperation, has resorted to dirty tactics to try to derail the proceedings and divert the people’s attention from the real issue, which is accountability,” ICHRP said. “Duterte is trying to sway public opinion by playing the victim card, when in fact he was the mastermind of a brutal and bloody war on the poor that claimed 30,000 lives under his presidency.”
ICHRP urged the global community to take a stand in support of the victims and their families. “We must not allow this re-victimization of the families and survivors who have been at the forefront of the movement for justice,” it said. “We must continue to stand behind them, provide any support possible, and demand justice for the thousands of victims of Duterte’s war on the poor and dissent.”
The coalition reiterated its call for full accountability, not just for Duterte but also for “former high-ranking government officials, cabinet members, and the list of PNP chiefs who served under him.”
ICHRP expressed support for the demand to deny Duterte any interim release. “He should be prohibited from returning to the Philippines to ensure the safety of the victims and to prevent him from interfering with the investigation,” the group stated.
It also urged the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “fully cooperate with the ICC.”
