Parliamentarians at Risk - Episode 3: 'Enemies of the State' in the Philippines

ADVOCATE by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has become notorious for his so-called war on drugs, which has seen thousands killed since he took office. In addition to this, he has also deliberately undermined the political opposition, particularly those who have been critical of his drugs war, and other controversial policies.
President Duterte has resorted to filing trumped-up lawsuits and other forms of harassment to target opposition lawmakers, the media and human rights activists. As this episode explores, he has also used more subtle tactics to undermine parliamentary democracy.
"This is political harassment; part of the President's project of shock and awe against the Flilipino public. Instilling fear, especially in the communities that have borne the brunt of the extrajudicial killings, but also towards political society, to demobilise Filipinos."