I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8313 
To suspend the provision of security assistance to the Philippines until the 
Government of the Philippines has made certain reforms to the military 
and police forces, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 
Ms. WILD (for herself, Mr. COSTA, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. HAALAND, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. RUSH, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Georgia, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. RASKIN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. POCAN, Ms. OMAR, Ms. JAYAPAL, 
Mr. GOMEZ, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, and 
Ms. BONAMICI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Fi-
nancial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To suspend the provision of security assistance to the Phil-
ippines until the Government of the Philippines has made 
certain reforms to the military and police forces, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Philippine Human 
Rights Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The U.S. State Department’s 2019 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 
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Philippines President Duterte, whose brutal Drug 
War and other campaigns have taken the lives of 
over 30,000 urban poor, peasants, workers, indige-
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 April 2020, the Alliance for Advance-
ment of People’s Rights (‘‘Karapatan’’) has docu-
mented 308 extrajudicial political killings, 439 vic-
tims of attempted politically motivated killings, 214 
victims of torture, around 2,500 victims of illegal ar-
rests, over 100,000 victims of threats and harass-
ments, and nearly half a million internal refugees 
under the Duterte administration. 
(5) More than 16 mayors and vice mayors have 
been killed since President Duterte took office, and 
Duterte has personally spoke blatantly in press con-
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ferences advocating for the killing of Catholic 
bishops during a period where three Catholic priests 
were assassinated. 
(6) Labor leaders and legislators have also been 
amongst those attacked by the administration, with 
30 labor leaders killed, 3 labor leaders being held as 
political prisoners, and Senator Leila De Lima who 
has been a staunch critic of the drug war killings 
having been detained for over 2 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 13 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. In July 2020, the 
Duterte administration signed the ‘‘Anti-Terrorism 
Act of 2020’’ into law. Countless Filipino and inter-
national commentators, including fifty U.S. Rep-
resentatives have warned that the law will be used 
to further target critics and silence dissent. 
(9) The United States continues to arm state 
security forces of the Philippines. Despite clear doc-
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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-
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— 
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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 
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, and other civil 
society activists to operate 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 
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(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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