Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on May 4th, 2021

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I would be pleased to listen to them.

[Cristina Palabay]

I think the range of sanctions can be varied, but at the same time, of course, we have a list of names. We have a long list—it's getting longer by the day—of people who are violating, persons in authority—to be frank with you, starting with our president who has committed, incited and ordered this violence. It's very basic out there in the open. You can even google the links to these public statements.

At the same time, we think it's high time for Canada to review its support for the police and the military, for the drug war and for the counterterrorism efforts, and at the same time look into how it is implementing its guidelines for the protection of human rights defenders.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much.

My question is for the three witnesses.

You have just referred to President Duterte. The coalition recommends that the Canadian government support the peace talks by calling on President Duterte to remove the obstacles to resuming them.

Can you tell us what the obstacles are to resuming the peace talks and why it is important that they continue?

[Guy-Lin Beaudoin]

Before I turn the floor over to the two heroines, for whom I have great respect, we must recognize that there has been an armed conflict for over 53 years.

It is important to remove the obstacles, because money from Canada to fight terrorism or counter-insurgency will not help us build lasting and sustainable peace. We can achieve this only by truly getting to the root of the problems. This is not done by having more weapons, guns, or tools, which in any case, only hinder the work of those who must lead the peace process and who are vilified.

Instead of listing the many obstacles, I will turn it over to Ms. Palabay and Ms. Ressa, who work in the trenches.

[Cristina Palabay]

I would just add that we are looking at the role of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, the chair of which is President Duterte. The vice-chairperson and national security advisers fight cases against us. General Antonio Parlade and Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy are spokespersons of this task force, spokespersons who are inciting violence against our persons and against our organization.

Those are a few of the names. Of course, there are many more down the line.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Would you like to comment, Ms. Ressa?

[Maria Ressa]

Why are these names critical? It's because they use social media. That's one of the biggest reasons it is so effective, because it's almost as though they unleash a virus of lies. These lies are targeted, and the disinformation networks are gendered, so on the LGBTQ question the marginalized are even further marginalized.

What we're seeing in other countries around the world is this equally dangerous, insidious virus of lies that's in our information ecosystem. That is seeded by power wanting to stay in power. That's part of what Cristina mentioned.

Those messages are amplified. They are spread by algorithms that are motivated by profit. That's a business model that Shoshana Zuboff calls surveillance capitalism. I testified with her in front of one of the committees here in 2019.

The last part is that all of this is connected to geopolitical power play. Last week the EU slammed Russia and China for their intensified vaccine disinformation campaigns. Last September Facebook took down information operations from China that were campaigning for the daughter of Duterte for president in our presidential elections next year. They were creating fake accounts for U.S. elections, and they were attacking me. I'm just one journalist, but I'm the target of information operations that are geopolitical in nature.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

You are concerned that Canada is continuing to provide support, co-operation and funding to the Philippine government despite the rapid increase in extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations perpetrated by state forces.

Can you elaborate on the nature of the support, co-operation and funding, and why it should be discontinued or reviewed?

[Guy-Lin Beaudoin]

This is our fourth recommendation. I'm really glad you asked that question, because it's a very important issue.

I would like to come back to the traceability of money. It is not clear what Canada's money is being used for. Is it for counter-insurgency or anti-terrorism? It's a little opaque. We don't know whether the money is being used to buy weapons, build prisons or hire more officers.

When the Philippine military and police are trained in Canada, what does the training entail? It is certainly not about the peace process. First and foremost, what is important to us is to see more transparency and traceability of funds. When $40 million is provided each year, it would be nice to know where that money is going.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, Mr. Beaudoin.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you.

We're now moving to our final MP to ask questions for seven minutes. That is MP McPherson.

We will have just a few minutes left at the end of that, so we won't have enough time to go to another round. I'm going to ask witnesses to gather their thoughts. We'll give you an opportunity for 30 seconds to a minute in which each of you can express your final thoughts, comments or anything you want to leave us with.

I will now move to Ms. McPherson for seven minutes.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of the witnesses for sharing their stories.

I find these stories harrowing. Your sharing this testimony with us is so important. We will do our job, hear your testimony and take those recommendations to the House of Commons and to all parliamentarians.

I'm going to ask a series of questions just to ensure that we do get on the record all of the things that we need to hear from you in your testimony.

I'd like to start with you, Ms. Palabay.

You mentioned that you and other women human rights defenders are among those being arrested, raped, getting death threats or killed. Thirteen human rights workers from your organization have been assassinated. Can you speak briefly about your experience?

[Cristina Palabay]

My experience is one that I would not wish to happen to anyone, not to any human rights defender. It's about receiving threats day in and day out. It is about how we have sleepless nights and days knowing about the killings, arrests and raids against the good people who we work with or worrying that the next time it might be me, my family or my colleagues in the office. It is about processing that vicarious trauma that one can acquire when you're exposed to reports every day. It is a very harrowing experience.

The lamentable and frustrating part of this is that when you pore into engaging government institutions, they do not address these concerns, and they get back at you with further threats. After the martial law period of President Marcos, this is the most dangerous time, the most dangerous time for activists, journalists, lawyers and members of the political opposition in the Philippines.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you.

You talked a bit about engaging with governments. Has the Canadian embassy reached out to your organization and taken any steps at all to protect and support human rights workers who are in peril?

[Cristina Palabay]

Well, to be frank with you, there has been no substantial engagement among civil society of the Canadian government here in Manila. I'm sure they have engaged with other actors as well, but as for civil society and those who are at risk, I believe that they can do more, especially in providing sanctuary and support for defenders in providing other venues.

One example of ours is what the Swedish and German ambassadors did. They went to the communities of drug war victims. The German ambassador went to the community pantries that were being red-tagged. That form of solidarity and support is very important. It lends legitimacy and, at the same time, it says that the world is watching and that you cannot just do anything you want against these people. I believe that more proactive action by Canadian voices in accordance with walking the talk with the guidelines on human rights defenders in this program is very important for the Canadian embassy here to undertake.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Ms. Ressa, is there anything you'd like to add to that?

[Maria Ressa]

I think the key part of what we're seeing today is that I've never seen power and money being so up front, as well as the quid pro quo, the building of a kakistocracy, and the values. I'll echo what everyone has said with regard to accountability and values.

In 2016 my outlet got in trouble because we demanded an end to impunity. The world doesn't work that way anymore. UNESCO just published “The Chilling”, which shows you how women are targeted far more than men are. Our data in the Philippines shows that women are targeted online at least 10 times more than men are, but the data there also shows you how it is about tearing down the facts, because if you don't have the facts, you have nothing.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Absolutely.

I will go back to Ms. Palabay.

The head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism says that global co-operation on counterterrorism must remain a priority. Can you explain why Canada should not continue to support, fund or co-operate with the Philippine government on anti-terrorism efforts?

[Cristina Palabay]

The Philippines' framework and approach to counterterrorism, in our view, is not to counter terror. I think it is driving and enhancing state terror, and it is framed in a way that quells political dissent or any of its perceived enemies. At this point, where even universities, journalists and community pantries are being red-tagged or terror-tagged, it is apparent that funding, supporting or co-operating with the Philippine government within this kind of framework is signing off not only on the constriction of democratic and civic space in the country but also on the rise of authoritarianism.

It is really important that Canada review and look very hard at its continuing support for this kind of framework, the kind that promotes a military solution rather than a more sustainable approach to achieving just and lasting peace.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you. That's very, very interesting. It's important for us to have that information. I think that's key, so thank you for sharing that with us.

I have one final question for you, which I hope I can sneak in.

Ms. Palabay, you speak about the inadequacy or the lack of domestic mechanisms that can truly render justice and accountability for the people of the Philippines. Can you explain how the laws and the lawfare are being used to stifle political dissent and constrict democratic spaces? Elaborate on the specific issues related to the failure of domestic mechanisms for justice, for accountability, for all of those pieces.

[Cristina Palabay]

Our case is emblematic of this frustration, or should I say deliberate impunity that we face. After six of our colleagues were killed, we received so much vilification online from the government. We filed for legal protection, the petition for the Writ of Amparo and Habeas Data at the supreme court. This is a remedy that came from the Latin American institutions. The appellate court denied our petition, and then nine more of our colleagues were killed. Then malicious charges were filed by one of those whom we held to court, the national security adviser.

A commission on human rights faced enormous obstacles in conducting investigations on the killings. It was not given access to important documents. You have a task force led by the justice department and courts with zero conviction rates on the killings of activists. You have both houses of congress dominated by allies of the president, who do not engage civil society in their investigations and opinions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you.

We are going to conclude, but we are going to give all of our witnesses an opportunity to give one final comment, just some parting words.

We'll start with Monsieur Beaudoin.

If you could do that for us, that would be great.

[Guy-Lin Beaudoin]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Human rights defenders are asking you today to ensure that Canada applies the great principles of the rule of law. We have to tell you that our appearance before you is giving hope to the relatives of the victims, the witnesses and the victims who have survived the abuses of the Philippine regime, hope that assistance and, most importantly, justice can come from our international community being mobilized.

Please include in your report the importance of human rights defenders. They are often the first to denounce abuses, but also the first to be killed in action and be vilified. They are too easily targeted. It is important to provide money and support for them and to integrate the set of guidelines into a real Canadian support program. The guidelines are good and important, but they are not enough. We need to take the steps that will get us there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you.

We'll move to Ms. Coumans.