Human Rights Crisis in the Philippines: 737 Detainees Held Under Marcos Jr. Administration

As of June 2025, 737 individuals are being held as political detainees in various detention centers and civilian prisons across the country, with 164 arrested under the current administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Many have been slapped with trumped-up criminal charges, and court hearings have been moving at a slow pace. Thirty of the detainees were arrested on fabricated cases, with authorities invoking the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and related laws. Among those accused are journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, development workers Marielle Domequil and Emilio Gabales, church worker Aldreen Yanez, and environmental activist Miguela Peniero. Thousands of other Filipinos are languishing in jails, subjected to torture, inhumane treatment, and subhuman conditions.

Key Takeaways:

As of June 2025, 737 individuals are being held as political detainees in the Philippines.
164 of these detainees were arrested under the current administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
30 detainees were arrested on fabricated cases, with authorities invoking the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and related laws.
Journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, development workers Marielle Domequil and Emilio Gabales, church worker Aldreen Yanez, and environmental activist Miguela Peniero are among those accused.
Thousands of other Filipinos are languishing in jails, subjected to torture, inhumane treatment, and subhuman conditions.
104 detainees are elderly, and 96 are afflicted with various chronic ailments.
At least 227 individuals have been arbitrarily designated as 'terrorists' or are currently facing charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act or its related legislation.
17 non-governmental organizations have had their bank accounts and assets frozen due to arrests and detentions under these laws.
The Anti-Terrorism Council and the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict have continued to make liberal use of the terror laws, especially against human rights defenders, development workers, and church and humanitarian workers.
President Marcos Jr. has publicly refused to abolish the National Task Force, despite recommendations from United Nations Special Rapporteurs.
Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay has called on the Marcos Jr. administration to release all political detainees on just and humanitarian grounds and to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act and related laws.
Kapatid, an organization supporting families and friends of political detainees, has sought a dialogue with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology chief over the situation at the Tacloban City Jail Female Dormitory.
The Tacloban City Jail has been criticized for neglect, discrimination, and abuses against political prisoners, including persistent medical neglect, suppression of visits and communications, and a climate of hostility and disregard for detainees' welfare.

Statistics:

737 individuals are being held as political detainees in the Philippines as of June 2025.
164 of these detainees were arrested under the current administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
30 detainees were arrested on fabricated cases, with authorities invoking the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and related laws.
At least 227 individuals have been arbitrarily designated as 'terrorists' or are currently facing charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act or its related legislation.
17 non-governmental organizations have had their bank accounts and assets frozen due to arrests and detentions under these laws.
104 detainees are elderly, and 96 are afflicted with various chronic ailments.
13 deaths have resulted from illness and neglect in political detention centers since the Marcos Jr. administration.
15 desaparecidos have been documented by human rights groups under the current administration.

Sources:

Karapatan, a human rights monitoring alliance, noted that many detainees have been slapped with trumped-up criminal charges and court hearings have been moving at a slow pace.
Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a journalist, was arrested on fabricated charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Marielle Domequil and Emilio Gabales, development workers, were arrested on fabricated charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Aldreen Yanez, a church worker, was arrested on fabricated charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Miguela Peniero, an environmental activist, was arrested on fabricated charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary-general, called on the Marcos Jr. administration to release all political detainees on just and humanitarian grounds and to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act and related laws.
Fides Lim, Kapatid national spokesperson, expressed grave concern over mounting reports of neglect, discrimination, and abuses against political prisoners at the Tacloban City Jail Female Dormitory.