Policy due to pressure: a case study on Amnesty International as an INGO and its perceived role on the policymaking process of the Philippine government vis-a-vis the issue of extrajudicial killings

Abstract

The thesis is a case study of Amnesty International (Al), an international nongovernmental organization that works on the issue of human rights. In an attempt to present the role of international nongovernmental organizations as possible pressure groups, the thesis has opted to use the issue of extrajudicial killings as a vantage point. In 2005 up until the early parts of 2007, the Philippines came under intense scrutiny for the then escalating cases of extrajudicial killings. Particularly, the Philippine government was criticized, both locally and internationally, for its failure to immediately act on the said issue, thereby creating the perception of the Arroyo administration implementing a de facto policy of tolerance. The thesis would try to present the possible role of Al in pressuring the government to implement concrete actions aimed at solving the killings and consequently analyze whether Al became instrumental in the formulation and implementation of a specific policy.