CWA Executive Board Condemns Philippine Human Rights Abuses

Washington, D.C. - The Communications Workers of America Executive Board issued the following statement regarding ongoing abuses of union and progressive activists in the Philippines by the Duterte regime:

Today, on International Human Rights Day, we are united in our support for activists in the Philippines who are seeking to improve the lives and conditions of Filipino workers. The government of President Rodrigo Duterte has been attempting to silence and intimidate these brave union and progressive organizers through raids and arrests based on planted evidence.

Recent reports indicate that the United States may begin negotiating a new free trade agreement with the Philippines. Such an agreement would send a terrible message to repressive governments everywhere, giving them a green light to continue suppressing dissent and retaliating against those who dare to speak out.

Workers must be free to exercise their human rights across the globe, including the right to form and join unions. We condemn the actions of the Duterte regime. Elected officials and executives of multinational corporations doing business in the Philippines must speak out against the human rights violations that are on the rise in the Philippines and use their voices and influence to call for real reform.