Ahead of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address on July 27, a coalition of Filipino people’s rights organizations based in Germany raised the alarm over escalating US-led militarization in the Philippines, land grabbing for data centers and resource extraction, and ongoing human rights abuses across the country.
On 27 July from 6-8 pm, groups including ALPAS Pilipinas, Gabriela Germany, ICHRP Germany, and Bayan Germany demonstrated outside of the Philippine Embassy in Luisenstraße. They called on the international community, particularly the US and German governments, to take immediate action to end ongoing corruption, repression, and militarization in the Philippines.
Pax Silica plan for US-Led Resource Extraction and Militarization
Pax Silica is a US-led international initiative to use a 1,620 hectare (4,000 acres) site north of Manila to secure critical supply chains for artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and other strategic technologies. The project represents a broader strategic push by the United States and multinational corporations to secure access to critical minerals in the Philippines as part of its geopolitical competition with China and to consolidate their monopoly over emerging technologies while stripping the Philippines of its resources and sovereignty. Pax Silica reproduces a colonial pattern in which natural wealth is extracted for foreign profit while local communities will suffer from heightened militarization and displacement, loss of livelihoods and civil liberties, and drawing 20 wells from local rivers to cool data centres.
Balikatan Exercises and Regional Provocation
The Balikatan (“Shoulder to Shoulder”) military exercises — joint operations between the US and Philippine armed forces — continue to expand in scope and scale. Germany has participated as an observer for three consecutive years and is widely expected to become a formal participant next year. The recent deployment of Tomahawk missiles, capable of reaching Chinese territory from Philippine soil, further militarizes the Philippines as a launchpad for US imperialism in the Indo-Pacific and marks significant provocation and escalation of tensions in the region. This turns Filipino territory and communities into instruments of geopolitical confrontation while exposing them to the dangers of an escalating inter-imperialist conflict.
The Negros Massacre and Human Rights Violations
The coalition condemns the massacre in Negros carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on April 19, 2026, in the community of Toboso, Negros Occidental, which left 19 dead, among them nine civilians, including two minors, and displaced over 650 residents. Among the 19 killed were two Filipino-Americans– Lyle Prijoles (aged 40) and Kai Sorem (aged 26). This massacre exposes the violent consequences of militarization and impunity enjoyed by armed state institutions. This is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of repression in which the military is used to suppress dissent, intimidate communities, and deny people their right to security and self-determination. The coalition demands an independent investigation and accountability for those responsible.
Germany’s Role: Weapons Transfers and Military Contracts
Since last year, the Philippines–Germany military contracts have increased defense agreements. In June, President Marcos Jr. announced that the Philippines was open to a visiting forces agreement with Germany, further transforming the Philippines into a site of expanding foreign military presence. ICHRP DE has launched the campaign “Deutsches Militar Raus aus den Philippines” (Germany Out of the Philippines) to highlight concerns of Germany’s growing military role and its complicity in enabling human rights abuses and state repression in the Philippines. These partnerships reproduce imperial power relations by allowing foreign states to project military influence while the Filipinos once again bear the consequences of militarization, repression, and the erosion of state sovereignty.
Anti-Corruption Demands: Flood Control Scandals and Duterte Accountability
The coalition also highlights rampant corruption within the Philippine government:
- ₱100 billion was allocated to flood control projects with no evidence of completed work or accountability.
- ₱200 billion has been earmarked for similar projects, yet oversight remains absent.
Under the KBKK (Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot, or People’s Movement Against Corruption) network, massive street protests have erupted across the Philippines, demanding that leaders be held to account.
The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte reflect growing public demand that all those involved in corruption and abuse face consequences.
ICC Trial of Former President Duterte
Former President Rodrigo Duterte is set to stand trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 30 November for being responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder in the context of the so-called “War on Drugs”, which led to the killing of over 30,000 Filipinos. The coalition calls for the conviction of Duterte and his former police chief, Bato de la Rosa, as co-perpetrators in the extrajudicial killings.
Filipino Migrants in Germany and across Europe
Thousands of Filipinos migrate abroad every day, yet those overseas — celebrated as “heroes of the nation” — continue to be exploited as cheap labour. This mass migration is not a symbol of opportunity but of an unequal global order that forces workers of the Global South to leave their homes to survive. The EU Return Directive and hostile immigration environments place migrant workers at increasing risk, where they are being exploited by corporations and governments that benefit from a cheap, disposable and precarious workforce. Recently, Filipino communities in Berlin have experienced escalating police violence, underscoring the urgency of protecting migrant rights both domestically and internationally.
Filipino Organisations
Alpas Pilipinas represents the anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist struggle in the Philippines to support and organize the Filipino migrant community in Berlin.
Gabriela Germany is an anti-imperialist & progressive organization for self-identified women and non-binary folks. Gabriela works to advance the Progressive Women’s Movement in the Philippines and around the world.
ICHRP – DE is the German country chapter of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP). ICHRP is a global network of 81 member organizations across 15 countries advocating for human rights, justice, and lasting peace in the Philippines.
BAYAN Germany is an alliance of progressive Filipino organizations in Germany advocating for the rights and welfare of the Filipino diaspora in Germany and for genuine democracy and self-determination for the Philippines.
