Every six years, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks, Inc. (CODE-NGO), the Change Politics Movement (CPM), and other civil society organizations gather to craft a four-pillar Development and Reform Agenda (DRA).

The DRA serves to raise awareness and to drum up support for vital and critical actions that the next President and Administration of the Philippines should implement in order to address the multiple challenges facing our country today. For their term of office in 2022-2028, we present this DRA.

The priority government actions cited below consider the plight of marginalized sectors such as farmers and fisherfolk, workers, urban poor, and indigenous peoples. Other actions are related to reducing poverty and inequities, ensuring empowerment, democratization and good governance, and promoting sustainable development and recovery.

According to the report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), an overarching focus on national security, countering terrorism and illegal drugs resulted in numerous human rights violations, including killings and arbitrary detention, persistent impunity and the vilification of dissent. Human rights and peace must be prioritized by the upcoming administration.

A. Human Rights

1. Review the implementation status and ensure the full implementation of the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 or RA 10368 which provides reparation for the victims of human rights abuses during the Marcos regime.

2. Create a body to study the possible need for a new law to compensate martial law victims who were unable to claim their monetary reparation under RA 10368 due to factors beyond their control that prevented them from complying with the requirements.

3. Drop all charges against Sen. Leila de Lima and release her from prison.

4. Support the ongoing ICC investigation on extrajudicial killings (EJK) under President Duterte’s drug war; restore the Philippines’ commitment to the Rome Statute which Pres. Duterte rescinded in 2018; and provided legal support/ institute measures that will bring justice for the EJK victims.

5. Adopt the National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in the country.

6. Respect freedom of the press. Reverse actions of the Duterte Administration which intimidate media persons and institutions such as those against Maria Ressa, Rappler and ABS-CBN.

7. Incorporate human rights education, both general education and sectoral, in the school curriculum starting from high school to college.

8. Review and amend the Cybercrime Prevention Law and the Anti-Terrorism Act to remove or amend provisions that pose a threat to freedoms of speech and expression and/or contradict, diminish or undermine the Bill of Rights and other human rights provisions of the 1987 Constitution. 

B. Peace Building

1. Fast-track the implementation of all commitments laid out in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro with meaningful consultation and participation of Bangsamoro civil society organizations (CSOs). Support the efforts of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to deliver its commitments in both political and normalization tracks in its extended term until 2025.Support the Marawi rehabilitation, Cabatangan Claim, and the Bangsamoro outside of the core territories to prevent violent extremism in the country.

2. Continue to integrate the peace and development framework which captures the local peace agenda and ensure the participation of CSOs including youth groups in the process. 

3. Ensure the full implementation of the National Action Plan of Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS) which promotes the protection of women’s human rights and prevention of violations of these rights in armed conflict and post-conflict situations. 

4. Ensure budgetary support is needed for development projects especially in remote and hard-to-reach communities through the normal budgetary process and participatory vetting of projects instead of special appropriations like the budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

5. Continue to develop and promote paradigms and frameworks for the peace settlement and transformation of conflicts among the Bangsamoro, the lumads, settlers and other IPs, through consultation, dialogue and massive information campaigns.

6. Declare all schools, colleges and universities, private and public, as zones of peace by prohibiting the presence of military and police personnel inside the campus and premises during school days except when there is an untoward incident happening inside.

C. Law Enforcement, Judicial Reform and Safety and National Sovereignty

1. Strengthen judicial independence and accountability by (a) evaluating the Judicial Bar Council’s effectiveness in depoliticizing the appointments process; (b) strengthening the Supreme Court’s management capacity and revisiting the principles of decentralization; (c) improving the performance evaluation metrics of judges; (d) revisiting the rules on SALN disclosure to dispel the impression that Supreme Court and the Ombudsman are hiding information from the public; and (e) establishing a continuing review of judicial compensation to remove its current ad hoc nature.

2. Assert Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and hold China accountable for the massive damage it has caused on the marine ecosystems in the area. 

3. Prioritize the elimination of crime and drug-related violence.

4. Strengthen policies and programs to regulate the trade of small arms.

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Note: CODE-NGO is currently validating the above Agenda with various civil society organizations serving the basic sectors and operating in different geographic areas. The validation process will run until April 25, 2022. Comments, suggestions or queries on the DRA may be sent to ssoliman@code-ngo.org