Various groups and individuals from Europe urged European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen to re-examine the human rights record of the current Marcos Jr. regime in an open letter published this 13 August. The open letter was released by Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS), an independent solidarity group in support of the Philippine struggle for national liberation.

The letter was made in response to von der Leyen’s recent remarks on a TV interview last 8 August where she claimed the EU sees “there is much improvement” in the human rights situation in the Philippines under the Marcos Jr. administration. The letter expressed alarm over the EU president’s statement arguing such pronouncements “embolden the Marcos Jr. administration” and discredits “the sufferings of the Filipino people and leave them without any avenue for grievance and redress.”

The letter cited recent data from Karapatan, a human rights group in the Philippines showing at least 60 cases of extra-judicial killings in just the first year of Marcos Jr. in office. It also notes at least 6,931 victims of aerial bombing incidents by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and at least 78 victims of illegal arrest and detention.

In addition, FFPS noted how the current Marcos-Duterte administration has protected Rodrigo Duterte from its war crimes during his tenure. In the letter, the group noted “In fact, the Marcos Jr. administration has not held Rodrigo Duterte accountable for his war crimes related to the bloody ‘war on drugs’ which saw between 12,000 to 30,000 people killed between 2016 to 2022. Instead, the Marcos Jr. administration protects Duterte by refusing to engage the International Criminal Court.”

FFPS also stated that they “fully share the sentiment of the National Democratic Front (NDFP)” referring to a recent statement made by the NDFP urging the EU to re-examine the US-Marcos regime’s track record on human rights.

“As citizens of the EU, we refuse to be part of Marcos Jr.’s disinformation campaign and we hold the EU leadership on that same regard. Thus, we urge the EU to look closely and objectively re-examine the human rights situation in the Philippines, remain impartial and uphold its values especially on human rights,” said the letter.