The Philippines ranked among Southeast Asia’s weakest performers in human rights and protection from state abuse, according to a new assessment released by the New Zealand-based Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI).
The nonprofit organization evaluated more than 50 countries on 14 civil and political rights indicators from 2017 to 2025. The report marks HRMI’s first comprehensive assessment of civil and political rights performance across participating countries.
Arbitrary Arrest Score Raises Concern
Among the report’s findings, the Philippines received a score of 4.6 out of 10 for “Safety from the State,” a measure that looks at protection from arbitrary arrest, torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killing.
The country’s lowest rating came in freedom from arbitrary arrest, where it scored just 3.1 out of 10. HRMI classified the result as “very bad,” making it the lowest score among Southeast Asian countries included in the assessment.
HRMI Southeast Asia Engagement Lead Keshia Mahmood said the finding should serve as a warning, stressing that people must be able to exercise their rights without fear of unjust detention or retaliation.
Mixed Results on Rights and Quality of Life
The Philippines performed better in HRMI’s empowerment index, which measures freedoms related to expression, assembly, association, religion, and participation in democratic processes.
With a score of 5.4 out of 10, the country ranked highest among Southeast Asian nations assessed, ahead of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Despite this, HRMI noted that many Filipinos still face barriers in fully exercising their civil and political rights.
The report also found shortcomings in economic and social rights outcomes. Under HRMI’s Quality of Life metric, the Philippines achieved only 74.9 percent of the level expected based on its income and available resources.
That result placed the country below the Southeast Asian average and made it the region’s third-lowest performer, ranking ahead only of Laos and Timor-Leste. HRMI said the findings highlight continuing challenges in both human rights protection and overall well-being.
