CHR urged to probe police arrests during Sona, previous protests ~ HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS

Friday, July 31, 2026

CHR urged to probe police arrests during Sona, previous protests

Friday, July 31, 2026 Herbert Curia - Promoter No comments

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CHR urged to probe police arrests during Sona, previous protests

MANILA, Philippines — Several groups on Friday urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the police arrests during the protest on the fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) and previous rallies.

In a letter submitted by representatives of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Karapatan, National Union of People’s Lawyers, HipHop United Against Corruption, and Alyansa Laban sa Korupsyon at Brutalidad ng Pulis and was addressed to CHR Chairperson Atty. Richard Palpal-latoc, the groups noted the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) “continuing disregard for the people’s civil liberties” over the past few months.

The groups pointed out the arrests during separate protests on July 22 and July 27. During the July 22 mobilization in line with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, journalist and environmental activist Jian Sanz was briefly arrested by the Pasay City Police while Moro activist Amirah Lidasan faced an attempted arrest.

Photojournalists Bulilit Marquez and Rene Dilan were allegedly harassed by police officers as they were covering the July 22 protest. The Pasay City police chief Col. Joselito de Sesto earlier explained that police officers “heard something bad so our police officers tried to restrict whoever said it.”

“Our personnel did not recognize that it was one of our friends from the media whom they had caught because he was swinging his camera, so our police held them to restrict the one who was cursing. When our personnel found out it was a member of the media, we let the person go,” de Sesto said in an interview with DZMM.

They also cited the Sona rally along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City where 51 individuals were arrested for alleged violations such as vandalism, obstruction of justice, malicious mischief, resistance, and disobedience. Of these, 12 were confirmed to be minors and were immediately released from custody.

Meanwhile, nine of the arrested protesters are still detained at Camp Karingal in Quezon City. Citing reports from rights group Karapatan, they claimed that the detainees were transferred to a separate room where they were interrogated without the presence of their legal counsel.

“During the interrogation, individuals identifying themselves as representatives of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) requested their personal information, pressured them to admit membership in certain organizations, and compelled them to identify individuals who participated in the SONA protest,” the groups said.

With this, they noted that coercive interrogation and intimidation violates the Republic Act No. 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 and the Philippines’ obligations under international human rights standards.

Aside from these, they also cited the anti-corruption protest in Mendiola last Sept. 21 where several individuals were arrested, as well as the arrest of some activists on Labor Day this year.

They pointed out that the recent demonstrations “illustrate a pattern of police conduct that unduly restricts the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.”

With this, they asked the CHR to investigate the incidents and “to call on the Philippine Government to end the policy and practice of unlawful imposition of restrictions on peaceful assemblies, ensure that law enforcement officials comply with international human rights standards, and cease the filing of baseless and retaliatory criminal charges against activists, protesters, and human rights defenders.”

They also encouraged the CHR to urge the government to remind of its obligations under international human rights law “to respect, protect, and facilitate the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, and to ensure accountability for violations committed by law enforcement personnel.”