Women's rights and labor groups in the Philippines on Friday came out against US President Donald Trump's planned participation in the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila on Nov. 17, citing sexual misconduct allegations against him as well as concerns over US military and economic interventions in the region.

Speaking at a press conference, grassroots feminist organizations under the World March of Women (WMW)-Pilipinas called for Mr. Trump to be rejected, arguing that his presence runs counter to ASEAN's commitments to eliminating violence against women and human trafficking.

Jean Enriquez, national coordinator of WMW-Pilipinas and executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), said at least 28 women had accused Mr. Trump of sexual misconduct, harassment, assault and rape. Eleven had reportedly linked him to the prostitution ring of Jeffrey Epstein.

"It is ironic that Trump arrives in Southeast Asia a few days before the 18-Day Campaign to end Violence Against Women (VAW)," Ms. Enriquez said, adding that ASEAN had adopted declarations against violence against women and against trafficking in persons, particularly women and children — commitments the bloc first adopted in 2004. The campaign she referenced runs annually in the Philippines from Nov. 25, the international day for the elimination of violence against women, to Dec. 12.

For the groups, the allegations underscore the need to challenge the impunity enjoyed by powerful individuals and to reject the normalization of sexual violence.

Their opposition to Mr. Trump's visit is also tied to broader concerns over US militarism, resource extraction and economic initiatives, including the proposed Pax Silica project, which they said could threaten women's livelihoods, ancestral lands and communities. Pax Silica has been publicly described as a United States-led initiative to coordinate supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence hardware and critical minerals among partner economies.

Thina Lopez, program officer at the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), said efforts to promote women's rights must address the political, economic, military and technological systems that perpetuate exploitation.

"We cannot talk about women's empowerment, human rights, or technological progress in the ASEAN while ignoring the violence and exploitation embedded in systems of power," Ms. Lopez said.

She also raised concerns over the commercialization of women's bodies through digital platforms, artificial intelligence and pornography, arguing that these technologies could turn exploitation into profit for powerful corporations and individuals.

Jelen Paclarin, executive director of the Women's Legal and Human Rights Bureau (WLB), urged the Philippines, as ASEAN chair this year, to ensure that women have meaningful participation in energy transition initiatives and decisions involving Pax Silica. The chairmanship rotates annually among ASEAN's member states, with the chair country setting the bloc's agenda for the year and hosting its summits.

She called for enforceable safeguards, transparency, community-led monitoring and meaningful participation, saying technology and energy projects should recognize women as rights-holders and decision-makers rather than passive beneficiaries.

"Pax Silica out of the Philippines," Ms. Paclarin said.

Amparo Miciano, secretary-general of Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK), warned that rural women would bear the consequences of the project's potential environmental damage, including harm to agricultural lands, water sources and biodiversity. She said resource extraction could increase health risks and make it harder for women to provide for their families, particularly in communities dependent on agriculture and natural resources.

Indigenous women's groups likewise opposed the initiative, citing concerns over mining and the extraction of critical minerals in ancestral domains. Judy Pasimio, executive director of LILAK, said the minerals targeted by the US-led development agenda were largely found in indigenous territories.

"Indigenous women's territories are closed to Trump and his corporate lackeys. Trump out, stop corporate mining," Ms. Pasimio said. The Philippines is among the world's largest producers of nickel, a metal used in stainless steel, batteries and electronics.

Labor groups, meanwhile, criticized US economic and military policies, arguing that these prioritized corporate interests over workers' welfare.

Nicey Coronacion, representing SENTRO-Women, said ASEAN could not claim to uphold women's rights while welcoming a leader accused of perpetuating violence against women. She also criticized the capitalist system for allowing corporations and powerful individuals to benefit from the exploitation of women and workers.

Partido Manggagawa (PM) Secretary-General Judy Ann Miranda called for an economic agenda centered on jobs, food security and health rather than militarization and displacement.

"Workers stand with women against war, sexual violence, and exploitation. We oppose US militarism and economic projects like Pax Silica that threaten women's livelihoods, rights, and dignity. Jobs, food, and health — not war, displacement, and exploitation," she said.

Ellene Sana, representing the Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA), highlighted the vulnerability of Filipino women workers who migrate abroad, particularly those employed as domestic workers and caregivers despite having college-level education. The Philippines is among the world's largest countries of origin for migrant workers. She cited unpaid or delayed wages, excessive unpaid work, forced labor, trafficking, and physical and verbal abuse among the forms of exploitation they encounter overseas.

Ms. Sana attributed forced migration partly to the lack of decent jobs, livelihood opportunities and public social services in the Philippines, as well as the continued depletion of the country's human and natural resources. The absence of humane and ecologically sustainable development, she said, continues to push women to leave their families and homes in search of work abroad.

— Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba