Marcos gets ‘failed’ mark anew from rights watchdog ahead of 5th Sona

Amnesty International Philippines gave President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a “failed” mark for his administration’s track record on human rights and social justice, ahead of his State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27, 2026. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Hours before his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday afternoon, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has received a “failed” mark again from Amnesty International (AI) Philippines, drawing heavy criticism for his administration’s track record on human rights and social justice. In its 2025-2026 assessment, the human rights watchdog highlighted the President’s apparent failure to deliver on three critical fronts: the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs), the defense of press freedom, and the advancement of climate justice. AI Philippines noted that these shortcomings compound the administration’s regressions from the previous years. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Human Rights Watch to Marcos: Ditch ‘drug war’, promote rule of law Prior assessments flagged the government’s “inability to prevent worsening” human rights violations, specifically pointing to deteriorating access to health care, compromised labor security, and ineffective crackdowns on corruption. With the Marcos administration entering its final two years, AI Philippines emphasized that these failures are recurring and require urgent intervention. “His government must decide now whether it will continue to protect power and privilege or finally uphold the rights of every Filipino,” the group stated./coa Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.