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Amnesty International\u2019s Secretary General Agn\u00e8s Callamard will visit the Philippines for the first time since 2017 this week, following the lifting of a Duterte-era immigration ban that prevented her from entering the country.<\/p>\n
During her visit from 19 to 22 November, Ms Callamard will meet with victims of human rights violations committed during former president Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s so-called \u201cwar on drugs\u201d, as well as their families, and lawyers and journalists who courageously denounced,\u00a0reported and investigated the thousands of extrajudicial executions committed throughout his presidency.\u00a0She will also speak at the launch of Amnesty International Philippines\u2019 book,\u00a0Walang Pahimakas (No Farewell): Anthology of Poems on the \u201cWar on Drugs\u201d<\/em>,and participate in Rappler\u2019s Social Good Summit 2026: WE, THE HUMANS<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m delighted to be able to return to the Philippines, a country close to my heart where I have many friends. I am moved to meet once again with victims and survivors of Duterte\u2019s so-called \u2018war on drugs\u2019 and pay tribute in person to their incredible courage and resilience. This long overdue visit comes at a historic time, with Duterte finally set to go on trial in The Hague for the crime against humanity of murder. Without the determined efforts of the Filipino people, lawyers and civil society, this powerful exercise in international justice would not have been possible,\u201d said Agn\u00e8s Callamard.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, justice does not begin and end in The Hague. The Philippine government must cooperate fully with the ICC, but it must also pursue accountability at home.\u00a0That means independently investigating those allegedly responsible for unlawful killings, prosecuting them in fair proceedings where there is sufficient evidence, and ensuring victims and their families have access to effective remedies here in the Philippines.\u201d<\/p>\n This long overdue visit comes at a historic time, with Duterte finally set to go on trial in The Hague for the crime against humanity of murder.<\/p>\n Amnesty International\u2019s Secretary General Agn\u00e8s Callamard<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ms Callamard will be available for interviews during her Philippines visit. After leaving the country she will travel to The Hague for the opening of Duterte\u2019s\u00a0trial for crimes against humanity and to attend the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC.<\/p>\n While serving as UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Ms Callamard felt Duterte\u2019s wrath for condemning and calling for investigations into the thousands of killings under the \u201cwar on drugs\u201d, with the then-president publicly threatening to slap her. In 2018, his government designated her as an \u201cundesirable alien\u201d and ordered that she and any International Criminal Court (ICC) representatives who entered the country to investigate the anti-drug campaign be arrested and deported.<\/p>\n In September 2026, following several years petitioning the Philippines authorities, and with the support of Amnesty International Philippines and a number of political representatives, Ms Callamard finally succeeded in having her immigration ban lifted.<\/p>\n Who:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Amnesty International Secretary General, Agn\u00e8s Callamard, and Philippine Section Director, Ritz Lee Santos, III, with Artists for Amnesty, poets Ron Atilano and Harold Fiesta. They will be joined by the National Artist for Literature, Virgilio Almario, and representatives of the families of victims of Duterte\u2019s \u201cwar on drugs\u201d.<\/p>\n What<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n
Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Launch of Walang Pahimakas (No Farewell): Anthology of Poems on the \u201cWar on Drugs\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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