International Women’s Alliance – Europe in Solidarity with the Filipino People: Justice, Accountability, and the Fight Against Impunity
Across Europe, the International Women’s Alliance stands in solidarity with the Filipino people in their continuing struggle for justice, accountability, and genuine democracy.
We recall the long history of authoritarian rule and systemic plunder in the Philippines, most notably under Ferdinand Marcos Sr., whose regime amassed an estimated USD 5–30 billion in ill-gotten wealth, including at least USD 683 million recovered from Swiss bank accounts. This legacy of corruption did not end—it evolved into a system where political dynasties, oligarchs, and elite interests continue to consolidate power while evading accountability.
Today, this culture of impunity remains deeply entrenched. Under Ferdinand Marcos Jr., there has been no meaningful reckoning with past crimes, and corruption scandals involving billions in public funds continue to surface—resources that should serve the Filipino people but instead reinforce elite control.
At the same time, we underscore the urgent importance of the ongoing proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning former President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs.” This campaign, widely documented as a war on the poor, resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, targeting the most vulnerable—urban poor communities, workers, and marginalized families.
Evidence presented in international and domestic investigations, including reports of monetary incentives for killings, exposes a system where violence was normalized and lives reduced to transactions.
Women, especially mothers, have borne the deepest wounds.
We honor the mothers who lost their children to state violence.
We stand with those who continue to seek justice despite threats, stigma, and fear.
We recognize the children left orphaned, traumatized, and abandoned by a system that failed to protect them.
The ICC process is a critical step toward breaking the cycle of impunity that has long shielded powerful figures—from dictators to contemporary political leaders—from accountability. It sends a clear message: no one is above the law.
However, justice cannot stop at one individual. Impunity in the Philippines is sustained by a broader system—where corruption, patronage politics, and economic inequality enable the same actors to remain in power across generations.
As women and migrants in Europe, we call for:
Full accountability for Rodrigo Duterte and all those responsible for extrajudicial killings;
Continued support for international justice mechanisms, including the ICC;
Accountability for corruption and human rights abuses under the current administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.;
An end to the system of political dynasties, oligarchic control, and bureaucratic capitalism that perpetuates inequality and injustice.
We stand with Filipino women, workers, and communities in their calls for justice:
Justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings.
Justice for the victims of state violence.
End impunity now.
In solidarity, we reaffirm our commitment to support women and people’s movements, amplify the voices of victims, and strengthen international pressure to hold perpetrators accountable.
The struggle continues—not only to remember the past, but to transform the present.
Stand with the Filipino people.
Fight impunity.
Advance justice and dignity for all.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ALLIANCE EUROPE
internationalwomensallianceeu@gmail.com
On the occasion of the ICCs confirmation of Rodrigo Duterte’s case on Crime against Humanity/ Bantay Katarungan Week
Feb. 27, 2025