Washington– Today Global Labor Justice issued a statement in response to the Philippine Police arrest and transfer of custody of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands on charges of crimes against humanity over thousands of extrajudicial killings, including union members and labor organizers, between 2011 and 2019. 

The following statement is from GLJ Legal Director Allison Gill:

“This is a critical step for accountability and to end impunity for Duterte and others who have brutally targeted so many including workers and union activists for years. GLJ stands with our union allies in the Philippines who have courageously fought back against the government’s red-tagging of workers. This violent repression was widespread under Duterte and still continues today and has been the subject of an International Labor Organization High-Level Tripartite Mission in 2023 collectively advanced by the Philippine labor movement with broad support.  The AFL-CIO awarded the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to the Philippine labor movement in 2023, recognizing their dedication and courage in advocating for workers' rights despite facing extreme threats and challenges. 

“Global Labor Justice has been highlighting this brutal repression with the U.S. government for many years, including in a 2021 petition to the Biden administration. In my testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in 2024, I emphasized the deadly red-taggings, killings and other repression of union activists as a critical example of what labor rights conditionality under GSP must address. When GSP is reauthorized, these abuses must be evaluated and eliminated before the U.S. considers re-granting GSP to the Philippines.

“Workers can’t exercise their freedom of association if they aren’t safe from violent reprisals. We will continue our work to support the Philippine unions to secure fundamental labor rights for all workers and end this violence.  The ICC has taken an important step towards that goal.” 

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Global Labor Justice (GLJ) is a non-governmental organization that works transnationally to advance policies and laws that protect decent work; strengthen freedom of association and workers’ ability to advocate for their rights; and hold corporations accountable for labor rights violations in their supply chains.