A/HRC/39/41 86. Multiple actors have expressed concern at the February 2018 petition of the Department of Justice to a Manila court in February 2018, seeking to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) as “terrorist” organizations under the Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act 2007 (the anti-terrorism law). The petition includes a list of over 600 individuals who are labelled as de facto “terrorists.” It is reported that among these are least 80 recognized human rights defenders, indigenous peoples’ representatives, and representatives of community-based organizations. This is the first time the Human Security Act of 2007 has been used against numerous activists. 87. A number of these individuals have been long-standing partners of the United Nations who believe their inclusion on this list is in part due to their international advocacy with the United Nations, including the Human Rights Council, the universal periodic review, the treaty bodies, and the special procedures. Among this list are past and current human rights defenders of the Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights, which includes a national alliance of human rights organizations, institutions and individuals in the Philippines,16 which was the subject of a joint communication by three special procedures, regarding vilifying and threatening public statements made by President Rodrigo Duterte (PHL 4/2018). 88. Several indigenous peoples’ representatives and human rights defenders advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Philippines are on this list. In addition to the above-mentioned United Nations human rights mechanisms, several of these individuals have engaged with the former United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, and the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. 17 89. In a letter to the Government on 4 May 2018, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights expressed concerned that placing these individuals on a “terrorist” list may constitute a reprisal for their engagement with the United Nations human rights system, and he also addressed the matter publicly on 18 May 2018.18 On 8 May 2018 during its 95th session, the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, under its early warning and urgent action procedures, urged the Government to remove indigenous leaders and human rights defenders, including incumbent and former United Nations special procedures mandate holders from the petition list, and recommended that the Government 16 17 18 GE.18-13325 These include Ms. Elisa Tita Lubi, member at large of the Karapatan National Executive Committee and former interim Regional Coordinator of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD); Mr. Arnold Evangelista and Erlindo Baes, officers of the Batangas Human Rights Alliance -Karapatan chapter, QRT; Ms. Zara Alvarez, Research and Advocacy Officer of the Negros Island Health Integrated Program (NIHIP) and former Campaign and Education Director of Karapatan-Negros chapter; and Mr. Sherwin de Vera, Regional Coordinator of DEFEND Ilocos, member of the Save The Abra River Movement (STARM) and former Secretary General of the Ilocos Human Rights Alliance-Karapatan. These include representatives associated with the Cordillera People’s Alliance, an independent federation of organizations promoting indigenous communities’ rights in the Cordillera Region, Philippines: Ms. Joan Carling, an indigenous leader from the Kankanaey Igorot people of the Cordillera Region, current Member and Co-Convenor of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for the Sustainable Development Goals, former Secretary-General of the Asian Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP), former member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, former Chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and current member of the CPA Advisory Council; Ms. Beverly Longid, an indigenous leader from the Kankanaey Igorot people of the Cordillera Region, current global coordinator of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), and former CPA Chair and current Advisory Council member; Mr. Jose Molintas, an Ibaloi human rights lawyer, former Asia representative to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and former CPA Chair and current Advisory Council member; Ms. Joanna Cariño, an Ibaloi member of the CPA Advisory Council and Co-Chair of the SANDUGO Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self Determination; Mr. Windel Bolinget, a Kankanaey-Bontok who is the current Chairperson of the CPA and National Co-convenor of KATRIBU national alliance of indigenous peoples; and Ms. Jeanette Ribaya-Cawiding, a Kankanaey, former Chairperson of CPA-Tongtongan ti Umili and current Regional Coordinator of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers – Cordillera. OHCHR, “Human rights advocates in Asia under attack,” Andrew Gilmour, 18 May 2018. 33