Ahead of planned demonstrations marking one year since mass anti-corruption protests took place in the Philippines on 21 September 2025, Ritz Lee Santos III, Executive Director of Amnesty International Philippines, said:
“As people prepare to take to the streets once more to demand accountability for corruption, Philippine authorities must ensure the right to peaceful assembly is protected and refrain from using excessive force. The authorities must not repeat the mistakes of last year’s violent response to peaceful protest.
“One year on, protesters arrested during the 2025 demonstrations continue to face charges, while authorities have failed to thoroughly, independently and impartially investigate allegations of police violence.
“Charges against those who exercised their right to peaceful assembly should be immediately dropped. Any use of force by police must be strictly necessary, proportionate and in line with international human rights standards.
“Instead of arresting activists and criminalizing dissent, the authorities must address the reason people are returning to the streets: they must act decisively and transparently on the country’s corruption scandal. Filipinos should not have to choose between demanding accountability and protecting themselves from state violence.”
Background
One year after mass protests erupted in the Philippines over allegations of corruption in flood-control projects, demonstrators are once again expected to take to the streets on 21 September. The date coincides with the commemoration of the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, which has long served as a focal point for public mobilization and calls for accountability.
In the aftermath of 2025 anti-corruption protests, Amnesty International documented
physical abuse
by state forces, including violations that may amount to torture and other ill-treatment. The demonstrations were sparked by a nationwide corruption scandal involving flood-control infrastructure projects.
