- United States
- Colo.
- Letter
I urge you to support suspending U.S. security assistance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) until essential reforms are made. Current aid supports entities involved in widespread human rights violations, undermining our values of justice and human dignity.
Since 2016, the U.S. has provided over $550 million in military aid to the Philippines. Under President Rodrigo Duterte, the “war on drugs” and other campaigns have resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 people—urban poor, indigenous peoples, activists, and government critics. Journalists, local officials, and clergy who advocate for the rural poor have also been targeted and assassinated.
One disturbing example is Brandon Lee, a U.S. citizen and environmental advocate in the Philippines, who survived an assassination attempt by the military after years of harassment. This case underscores the urgency of halting U.S. support until the Philippine government enacts reforms to protect human rights and hold military and police officials accountable.
To address these issues, I advocate for the following actions:
1. Suspend security assistance to the AFP and PNP.
2. Veto loans to the Philippine military and police by U.S. representatives at multilateral development banks.
3. A joint State Department and Department of Defense report to Congress detailing U.S. security assistance to the AFP and PNP, and how this aid is used, including any documented misuse.
For these restrictions to be lifted, the Philippine government must investigate and prosecute human rights violators within the military and police, withdraw military involvement from domestic policy, and ensure protection for trade unionists, journalists, human rights defenders, and others targeted for their activism. It must also comply with audits of security aid.
The U.S. has taken such action before. In 2007, after a U.S. Senate hearing led by then-Senator Barbara Boxer, Foreign Military Financing to the Philippines was cut due to human rights abuses. We must take similar steps today to ensure our aid is not used to perpetuate further atrocities.
I strongly urge all members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor HR 1433, the Philippines Human Rights Act, to enforce these critical reforms and ensure that U.S. aid aligns with our principles of justice.
