Vennel Chenfoo
Vennel Chenfoo Testimony
Surveillance of our office and my home has become commonplace. Unidentified men ask for my whereabouts. I receive threatening messages from unknown numbers and on my social media accounts. Clearly they are trying to silence me.
Vennel Chenfoo is an at-risk HRD. He became at risk especially after his role in the organized evacuation of the indigenous peoples of Balit in the first quarter of 2015, and for coining and spearheading the creation of the ‘Kalasag sa Tribu’ –a youth arm of Kalumbay—as his humble contribution—being an advocate—in strengthening indigenous peoples’ movement against extractive industries. His home and office were put under surveillance, and his family members were forced by the military intelligence operatives to pressure him to stop his human rights work.
The Philippines, despite being a party to several international human rights treaties which impose a duty on the state to investigate alleged violations of the right to life, has provided human rights defenders with little or no protection.
