SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The U.S. State Department’s 2020 Human 
Rights Report on the Philippines states ‘‘There were 
numerous reports of government security agencies 
and their informal allies committed arbitrary or un-
lawful killings in connection with the government di-
rected campaign against illegal drugs.’’. The Report 
goes on to state, ‘‘Government mechanisms to inves-
tigate and punish abuse and corruption in the secu-
rity forces were poorly resourced and remained 
largely ineffective’’. The United Nations Office of 
the High Commissioner on Human Rights in its an-
nual report for the 44th Session of the Human 
Rights Council concluded that there is ‘‘long-stand-
ing overemphasis on public order and national secu-
rity at the expense of human rights has become 
more acute in recent years, and there are concerns 
that the vilification of dissent is being increasingly 
institutionalized and normalized in ways that will be 
very difficult to reverse;’’. 
(2) The United States continues to provide sup-
port via security assistance to the administration of 
Philippines President Duterte, whose brutal Drug 
War and other campaigns have taken the lives of 
over 30,000 urban poor, peasants, workers, indige-
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nous and environmental activists as well as human 
rights defenders, religious leaders, and peace advo-
cates. 
(3) Government agencies of the Philippines re-
port 4,948 suspected drug users and dealers, includ-
ing 60 children, died during police operations from 
July 1, 2016 to September 30, 2018, and according 
to Human Rights Watch, the Philippine National 
Police (PNP) have reported 22,983 deaths remain 
classified as ‘‘homicides under investigation’’ since 
the Drug War began. 
(4) As of December 2020, the Alliance for Ad-
vancement of People’s Rights (‘‘Karapatan’’) has 
documented 376 extrajudicial political killings, 488 
victims of attempted politically motivated killings, 
222 victims of torture, around 3,600 victims of ille-
gal arrests, over 100,000 victims of threats and har-
assments, and nearly half a million internal refugees 
under the Duterte administration. 
(5) Duterte has blatantly targeted and publicly 
advocated for the killing of faith leaders. Catholic 
Bishops, priests, pastors, and laity have been threat-
ened, intimidated, harassed and murdered for speak-
ing out against extra-judicial killings and the war on 
drugs. 
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(6) Duterte has also abused his office by tar-
geting critics and political opponents for intimida-
tion and elimination. Since Duterte took office, over 
30 labor leaders have been murdered and 3 have 
been jailed as political prisoners, over 25 mayors 
and vice mayors have been assassinated, and Sen-
ator Leila De Lima who has been a staunch critic 
of the drug war killings having been detained for 
over 4 years. 
(7) The international NGO Global Witness has 
declared the Philippines to be the deadliest country 
in the world for defenders of human rights, the envi-
ronment, and natural resources, with 30 environ-
mentalists, 54 indigenous people, and 207 farmers 
and peasants extrajudicially killed since Duterte 
took office in 2016. Included in the targeting of en-
vironmental activists was American citizen, Brandon 
Lee, who was subjected to an assassination attempt 
on August 6, 2019. Brandon has been subjected to 
repeated threats and harassment by the Philippine 
military due to his advocacy relating to the land and 
rights of indigenous people in Ifugao province and 
the surrounding Cordillera region of the Philippines. 
While Brandon Lee survived the attack, he has been 
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left paralyzed and his assailants have not been 
brought to justice. 
(8) It is widely recognized that the Duterte ad-
ministration silences dissent and the press. The 
State Department’s 2019 Report states, ‘‘Govern-
ment harassment of some media outlets occurred, 
however, and polls suggested many Filipinos con-
sider it dangerous to publish information critical of 
the administration.’’. In May 2020, ABS-CBN, one 
of the Philippines’ two major sources of news, and 
an occasional critic of Duterte’s policies, was forced 
off air due to the denial of a franchise license by the 
Congress of the Philippines, at the behest of the 
Duterte administration. Similarly, Maria Ressa, a 
vocal critic of the Duterte administration, Times 
Magazine’s Person of the Year 2018 recipient, and 
founder of the digital news site Rappler was con-
victed of cyber libel in June 2020. 
(9) On July 3, 2020 the Anti-Terrorism Act of 
the Philippines was passed into law. While pur-
porting to counter terrorism, the bill rolls back many 
civil liberties by lessening requirements for judicial 
warrants, allows for extended pre-trial detention, 
and allows for the prosecution of conduct that is 
considered protected political speech. The Anti-Ter-
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rorism Act is viewed by many as a threat to Free-
dom of Speech in the Philippines and yet another 
tool the Duterte administration will use to silence 
critics and political rivals. Representative Jan Scha-
kowsky, along with 49 other members of the U.S. 
Congress, urged the government of the Philippines 
to repeal ‘‘this repressive legislation’’. 
(10) The practice of ‘‘red-tagging’’, wherein the 
government labels activists, critics, and non-govern-
mental organizations as terrorists, has been growing 
in the Philippines from 2020 to 2021. This tactic is 
used to isolate individuals or groups and, in many 
cases, mark them for harassment or assassination by 
Philippines security or paramilitary forces. 
(11) On March 7, 2021, the Armed Forces of 
the Philippines (AFP) and Philippines National Po-
lice (PNP) carried out a series of joint operations 
across Calabarzon. The operations led to the murder 
of nine activists and the arrest of six others. The 
victims were members of progressive organizations 
that advocated around issues of labor, land and in-
digenous rights, environmental protections, and 
housing rights for the urban poor. The Philippine 
government claims that it carried out the raids in 
Calabarzon to execute valid search warrants for 
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weapons and that the killings only resulted from the 
victims resisting arrest. This claim has been met 
with extreme skepticism due to the government’s 
history of fabricating evidence and ‘‘red-tagging’’ 
progressive groups and activists. Further suspicion 
was cast on the allegations of resisting arrest when 
family members of the victims were prohibited by 
the PNP and AFP from collecting the victim’s bod-
ies. Following the attacks in Calabarzon, Duterte’s 
spokesperson endorsed the killings of the activists 
and security forces began to surveil and harass 
human rights groups that are investigating the 
killings. 
(12) The United States continues to arm state 
security forces of the Philippines. Despite clear doc-
umentation of abuses and international condemna-
tion, in April 2020, the United States announced a 
pair of arms sales totaling $2,000,000,000 for items 
including hellfire missiles and attack helicopters. In 
July 2020, the United States announced an addi-
tional sale of $126,000,000 worth of assault boats 
and armaments. 
SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE. 
(a) SUSPENSION
OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE.—No 
Federal funds are authorized to be appropriated or other-
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wise made available to provide assistance for the police 
or military of the Philippines, including assistance in the 
form of equipment or training, until the date described 
in subsection (d). 
(b) LOANS FROM MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT 
BANKS.—The President shall instruct United States rep-
resentatives at multilateral development banks to vote 
against providing any loans to the police or military of 
the Philippines. 
(c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspectors 
General of the Department of State and Department of 
Defense shall jointly submit to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that— 
(1) specifies all forms of security assistance or 
loans made available to the Philippine National Po-
lice or the armed forces of the Philippines, including 
any organizations or individuals operating with the 
authority of the Philippine National Police or the 
armed forces of the Philippines, by the United 
States or by multilateral development banks during 
the period beginning January 1, 2016, and ending 
on the date of the submission of the report; 
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(2) contains all reports generated by recipients 
of United States security assistance or loans from 
multilateral development banks to the Philippines 
with respect to the use, investment, or transfer of 
such assistance or loans; and 
(3) details any and all misuses of security as-
sistance and loans during the period beginning Jan-
uary 1, 2016, and ending on the date of the submis-
sion of the report by the Philippine National Police, 
the armed forces of the Philippines, or any affiliated 
groups or individuals, such as extrajudicial killings, 
intimidation of political opponents, illegal sales 
under Philippine or international law, or misappro-
priation. 
(d) CONDITIONS FOR LIFTING SUSPENSION OF AS-
SISTANCE.—The suspension of security assistance under 
subsection (a) shall terminate on the date on which the 
Secretary of State certifies to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that the Gov-
ernment of the Philippines has— 
(1) investigated and successfully prosecuted 
members of military and police forces who have vio-
lated human rights, ensured that the military and 
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police cooperated in such cases, and affirmed that 
such violations have ceased; 
(2) withdrawn the military from involvement in 
domestic policing activities, in accordance with the 
Philippine Constitution, and ensured that all domes-
tic police functions are separated from the military 
chain of command and are instead directly respon-
sible to civilian authorities; 
(3) established that it effectively protects the 
rights of trade unionists, journalists, human rights 
defenders, critics of the government, faith and reli-
gious leaders, and other civil society activists to op-
erate without interference; 
(4) taken effective steps to guarantee a judicial 
system that is capable of investigating, prosecuting, 
and bringing to justice members of the police and 
military who have committed human rights abuses; 
and 
(5) fully complied with domestic and United 
States audits and investigations regarding the im-
proper use of prior security assistance. 
Æ 
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