We, the undersigned, write to oppose the Philippine government's bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the 2027-2028 term. The UN Security Council, one of the UN’s six main organs, is tasked:

• to maintain international peace and security
• to develop friendly relations among members
• to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights
• and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked the diplomatic community to support the administration’s bid for the seat citing the Philippines’ “rich experience” in “building peace, forging consensus, and finding new paths for cooperation.” However, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration's track record has been abysmal in promoting international peace and security and solving international problems through solutions that upholds human rights and the needs of the Filipino people and the world.

The Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration has allowed the Philippines to be a launching pad for US war in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. It has allowed the build up of US troops and high powered weapons systems, like the Typhon missiles, capable of reaching Taiwan and China, and opened the country to potential US weapons manufacturing and weapons storage. It has allowed the staging of US warships such as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which was recently diverted from the Indo Pacific for operations against Iran, in the Philippine Sea. These actions turn away from diplomacy and friendly relations and rely on displays of force to bolster ones position in the world.

Even worse, these actions show blatant disregard for the safety and well being of Philippine citizens who stand to lose if the Philippines is targeted for retaliation in these wars. In particular, farmers and fisher folk who comprise the rural and coastal communities where US facilities are hosted under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) are in direct danger as aggressive US actions against China make war more and more imminent.

In his March 2026 address to the UN, President Marcos Jr. urges “all countries to take resolute steps to address the root causes of [armed] conflicts.” However, his handling of armed conflict in the Philippines blatantly disregards human rights and fails to uphold international humanitarian law. Policies such as the 2025 NAP-UPD (National Action Plan for Unity Peace and Development) in practice rely on brutal force - extrajudicial killings, bombings of civilian communities, abductions and disappearance of activists, jailing of critics through false charges - to suppress dissent rather than seeking cooperation and genuine resolution to the legitimate issues of poverty, landlessness, joblessness, and corruption that have been the drivers of the widespread discontent with the government. While he calls on concerned parties at the global level to “return to the negotiating table” for peace, peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have stalled.

In summary, the actions outlined above show the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not deserve a seat at the UN Security Council. The administration’s unwillingness to exercise diplomacy and cooperation in volatile situations when it is most needed, its non-adherence to human rights and international humanitarian law in the Philippines, and tying its actions globally in support of US aggression against other countries make the world a more dangerous place. It is for these reasons that we oppose the Philippines’ bid for a seat and ask you to do the same.