Reports

“Our Happy Family Is Gone”

Impact of the “War on Drugs” on Children in the Philippines

The 48-page report, “‘Our Happy Family Is Gone’: Impact of the ‘War on Drugs’ on Children in the Philippines,” details the plight of children whose parents or guardians have been killed. Many children have suffered psychological distress, and all experienced economic hardship made worse by the death of a family breadwinner. The increased poverty and trauma have led many children to leave school or compelled them to work. Some children who lost a family member have faced bullying in their school and community. Some were forced to live on the streets.

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  • “Just Let Us Be”

    Discrimination Against LGBT Students in the Philippines

    This report documents the range of abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in secondary school.

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    Cover of the Philippines Report

  • “License to Kill”

    Philippine Police Killings in Duterte’s “War on Drugs”

    This report found that the Philippine National Police have repeatedly carried out extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, and then falsely claimed self-defense. They plant guns, spent ammunition, and drug packets on their victims’ bodies to implicate them in drug activities.

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    Cover of the Philippines Report

  • Fueling the Philippines’ HIV Epidemic

    Government Barriers to Condom Use by Men Who Have Sex With Men

    This report documents the failure of national and local governments in the Philippines to address the growing HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men.

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    Cover of the Philippines report

  • “What … if Something Went Wrong?”

    Hazardous Child Labor in Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Philippines

    This 39-page report documents how thousands of Filipino children – some just 9 years old – work in illegal, small-scale gold mines, mostly financed by local businessmen. Children work in unstable 25-meter-deep pits or underwater along the coastal shore or in rivers, and process gold with mercury, a toxic metal.

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  • "One Shot to the Head"

    Death Squad Killings in Tagum City, Philippines

    The 71-page report details the involvement of local government officials – including Tagum City’s former mayor, Rey “Chiong” Uy – and police officers in the extrajudicial killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, street children, and others over the past decade.

  • Schools and Armed Conflict

    A Global Survey of Domestic Laws and State Practice Protecting Schools from Attack and Military Use

    This 162-page report examines domestic laws and military policies in 56 countries around the world. Governments have been slow to update and align their domestic legislation with the explicit prohibitions on attacks on schools under international criminal law, Human Rights Watch said.

  • "No Justice Just Adds to the Pain"

    Killings, Disappearances, and Impunity in the Philippines

    This 96-page report details strong evidence of military involvement in seven killings and three enforced disappearances of leftist activists since President Benigno Aquino III took office on June 30, 2010.

  • “They Own the People”

    The Ampatuans, State-Backed Militias, and Killings in the Southern Philippines

    This 96-page report charts the Ampatuans’ rise to power, including their use of violence to expand their control and eliminate threats to the family’s rule.

  • Walls at Every Turn

    Abuse of Migrant Domestic Workers through Kuwait’s Sponsorship System

    This 97-page report describes how workers become trapped in exploitative or abusive employment then face criminal penalties for leaving a job without the employer’s permission.

  • Slow Reform

    Protection of Migrant Domestic Workers in Asia and the Middle East

    This 26-page report reviews conditions in eight countries with large numbers of migrant domestic workers: Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Singapore, and Malaysia.

  • "You Can Die Any Time"

    Death Squad Killings in Mindanao

    This 103-page report details the involvement of police and local government officials in targeted killings of alleged drug dealers and petty criminals, street children, and others, and describes the lack of any effort by the authorities to investigate the killings and bring those responsible to justice.

  • "As If I Am Not Human"

    Abuses against Asian Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia

    This 133-page report concludes two years of research and is based on 142 interviews with domestic workers, senior government officials, and labor recruiters in Saudi Arabia and labor-sending countries.

  • “Lives Destroyed”

    Attacks on Civilians in the Philippines

    Violent Islamist groups in the Philippines have killed or injured more than 1,700 people in bombings and other attacks since 2000. The attacks, mostly in Mindanao, Basilan, Jolo, and other southern islands, have also included kidnappings, executions, and shootings.

  • Scared Silent

    Impunity for Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines

    This 84-page report, based on more than 100 interviews, details the involvement of government security forces in the murder or “disappearance” of members of leftist political parties and nongovernmental organizations, journalists, outspoken clergy, anti-mining activists, and agricultural reform activists.

  • Swept Under the Rug

    Abuses against Domestic Workers Around the World

    This 93-page report synthesizes Human Rights Watch research since 2001 on abuses against women and child domestic workers originating from or working in El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.