Rep. Wild leads
call for action against Philippines human rights violations
Press release
January 28, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
This week, Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) led a bipartisan group
of her colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Anthony
Blinken and Secretery of Treasury Janet Yellen, urging them to seek
targeted sanctions against members of the Duterte regime with
documented records of grave human rights violations in the
Philippines. Reports of widespread harassment and assassinations
have been observed by human rights groups, and the International
Criminal Court (ICC) has now begun a probe into possible crimes
against humanity during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s
infamous so-called “war on drugs” – a pretext for an estimated
30,000 killings by security forces during the Duterte presidency.
"Those behind these
corrosive violations should no longer operate with impunity. In our
stand for democracy, the United States cannot overlook the crisis in
the Philippines, and we must take tangible action if we are to truly
stand for human rights and the flourishing of freedom around the
world," the lawmakers wrote. "To this end, we urge the imposition of
sanctions on individuals who are behind these major human rights
violations, particularly via the use of the Global Magnitsky Act."
In July, Rep. Wild
reintroduced the Philippine Human Rights Act, legislation to
reinforce American commitment to international human rights by
suspending security assistance to the Philippines until violence
against dissidents ceases and accountability against the
perpetrators commences.
This letter also arrives
alongside horrific reports detailing the rape of a 15-year-old girl,
Belle, by the 59th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (IBPA)
under the leadership of Lt. General Antonio Parlade, who is among
the individuals listed in the letter as responsible for human rights
violations committed by the Philippine security forces under the
Duterte regime. Rep Wild stands with Belle and her family, who filed
charges against General Parlade and other officials this past week.
Rep. Wild was joined in
sending the letter by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Dean Phillips
(MN-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Dina Titus (NV-01), Eleanor
Holmes Norton (DC), James McGovern (MA-03), Steve Cohen (TN-09),
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Betty
McCollum (MN-04), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Andy Levin (MI-09), Anna Eshoo
(CA-18), Angie Craig (MN-02), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Chellie
Pingree (ME-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jim
Costa (CA-16), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Danny Davis (IL-07), Mark Pocan
(WI-02), Gerald Connolly (VA-11).
Read full text of the
letter here