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Save the life of Filipina MARY JANE VELOSO! Stop the executions in Indonesia!

ICHRP Secretariat
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Save the life of Filipina MARY JANE VELOSO! Stop the executions in Indonesia!

APPEAL FOR URGENT ACTION

Mary Jane Veloso is a 30-year-old Filipina mother-of-two sentenced to death by the Indonesian Supreme Court in April 2010 for drug trafficking.

Veloso’s case was submitted for judicial review but her appeal was rejected by the Indonesian Supreme Court last March 26, 2014. News reports state that Indonesia is preparing to transfer Veloso from the city of Yogyakarta to the maximum security prison in Nusakambangan Island of Central Java to await execution by firing squad.

Veloso was a domestic worker in Dubai from 2009 to 2010. She left Dubai and came back to the Philippines after her employer attempted to rape her. On April 22, 2010, she was illegally recruited by a distant relative to work as a domestic worker in Malaysia.

When she arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the same person told her that the job was not available anymore and that she would instead be transferred to Indonesia. It was there that she found out that she was tricked into carrying luggage containing 2.6 kilos of heroin.

The Indonesian government plans to execute 10 convicted foreign drug traffickers, including Veloso, all at once. Their cases have drawn international flak for Indonesian Pres. Joko Widodo after he rejected pleas by the United Nations and various governments for their clemency.

UN Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns on extrajudicial executions had also appealed to Wododo to stop the executions on the basis that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported information
that suggests that Veloso and her 14 other fellow accused were convicted after unfair trials. The same report attested that all of them did not receive sufficient legal services or the right to translators, and had no legal representation at all stages of their trials.

Upon her arrest at the Jogjakarta airport, Veloso was not provided proper legal assistance. She was only provided a student translator during the course of her trial. She did not understand any of the proceedings.

Veloso’s case is yet another case of the Philippine government doing a little, too late. She was arrested in 2010 and was not assigned a lawyer until the last minute. Had it not been for the international criticism that accompanied her fellow foreign inmates’ cases, it can be argued that the Philippine government would have once again opted to keep her case hush to evade public censure. Such had been the Philippine government’s tact, it had so far failed to show transparency or accountability for failing to save the lives of Filipinos on death row.

Should Veloso’s execution push through, she would be the eighth Filipino executed under the present leadership of Benigno Aquino III, the most number of executions of Filipinos on death row under one regime since the Philippine labor export policy was implemented in the 1970s.

Veloso was a victim of large-scale international drug syndicates, of circumstance and of government neglect. The series of unjust executions of Filipinos on death row should be put to a stop.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling on:

  • Indonesian Pres. Joko Widodo to grant Mary Jane Veloso clemency on grounds of a mistrial and for humanitarian reasons. Letters may be coursed through respective Indonesian embassies.
  • Philippine Pres. Benigno Aquino III to exhaust all means to save Mary Jane Veloso’s life and demand to know why Mary Jane Veloso and otherslike her were deprived of proper leg al assistance by the PH government.
  • The Philippine government to hunt down and prosecute Mary Jane Veloso’s illegal recruiter, “Cristina”, who remains at large to this day. “Cristina” is also said to be harassing and threatening Veloso’s family.
  • The United Nations to investigate why there have been the most number of executions that pushed through under the Aquino regime.
  • Migrants’ and human rights-based organizations to appeal for clemency for Mary Jane Veloso.

Sign the petition calling on Pres. Widodo to stop the executions in Indonesia: http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/36419/ [1]

Like and circulate to all networks the Save the Life of Mary Jane Veloso Facebook page: www.fb.com/SaveMJVeloso [2]

You may send your communications to:

H.E. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA JOKO WIDODO
Istana Merdeka
Jakarta Pusat 10110, Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 386 4816 /+62 21 344 2233
Email: ppid@setkab.go.id
Twitter: @jokowi_do2

H.E. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES BENIGNO AQUINO III
Office: JP Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph
Twitter: @noynoyaquino

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR CHRISTOF HEYNS ON EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS
Email: eje@ohchr.org

Please send a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address below:

SAVE THE LIFE OF MARY JANE VELOSO
45 Cambridge St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines
Telefax: (+632) 9114910
Email: migrante2007@yahoo.com.ph
Facebook: fb.com/SaveMJVeloso [3], fb.com/migranteinternational [4]
Twitter: @migrante_intl

URGENT appeal for internally displaced population of Maguindanao and North Cotabato

ICHRP Secretariat
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URGENT appeal for internally displaced population of Maguindanao and North Cotabato

Dear friends and colleagues,

Greetings of peace!

On 25 February, 2015, President Benigno Aquino III, through Gen. Pio Catapang, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), declared all-out war against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF was accused of coddling suspected terrorists Abdulbasit Usman and more than 300 men allegedly trained by Zulkipli bin Hir (alias Marwan) in bomb-making.

The declaration came a month after residents in Mamasapano, Maguindanao forcibly evacuated due to the possibility of another clash between government forces and rebel groups in the area after the botched operations last January 25, 2015 that rendered dead 44 SAF-PNP commandos. While there was much hype over the death of the police commandos in  said operation, human rights violations against civilians were documented on the ground such as extrajudicial killing and frustrated extrajudicial killing, forced evacuation, destruction of properties, child rights violations and involvement of US personnel in the operations. (Please refer to the attached report of the People’s Fact Finding Mission February 2015)

On 27 February 2015, composite units of the 6th Infantry Division (2nd Mechanized Battalion, 8th Marine Battalion Landing Team, 33rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, 45th IBPA, Scout Ranger, 1stMechanized Battalion, Special Forces, 601st IBPA, 602nd IBPA, and 603rd IBPA) and Philippine National Police Regional Office units in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) launched ground and aerial attacks in Salbo, Pagatin, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak towns in Maguindanao where the military targets were supposedly located. Prior to this, on 21 February, the 7th IBPA launched an artillery attack in Pikit, North Cotabato.

Since the Philippine government launched the all-out offensive against the BIFF, the ARMM-Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-HEART) has documented 123, 537 persons or 24, 714 families (as of March 13, 2015) displaced in the 11 municipalities in Maguindanao because of the ongoing military operations. Most of them left their homes and are now in cramped evacuation centers or their relatives’ houses —sick, hungry, and traumatized.

Initial documentation of Karapatan and partner organizations in the area indicate various forms of human rights and international humanitarian law violations committed by state agents in the implementation of the government’s all-out war. Documented violations include forced evacuation and divestment of properties due to heavy military presence, indiscriminate firing, shelling of mortars, and aerial bombing that resulted to destruction of properties of civilians. Indiscriminate firing of military troops also resulted in wounding of civilians or frustrated extrajudicial killing. Civilians also experienced threat, harassment, and intimidation by soldiers encamped in public and religious structures in the communities.

On March 26, 2015, Gen. Catapang announced that the military’s all out offensives will last until June this year.

Karapatan is appealing for your support for the thousands of civilians displaced because of the military’s all-out war. The evacuees are in need of food, medicines (for diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, hypertension, coughs and cold, fever), clothes, laundry soap, sleeping mats and potable water. They also need slippers and change of clothes, especially the children with infected wounds. Karapatan will join the 2nd Peace and Humanitarian Mission of its Mindanao partner organizations in April 2015 to deliver the aforementioned forms of support. You may email us at karapatan@karapatan.org for details on how your support can be sent.

We appeal to you to send letters of concern to agencies of the Philippine Government to call for the following:

  1. Stop the all-out war against the Bangsamoro people,
  2. Immediately pull-out the military troops from civilian communities,
  3. Stop threats and harassment against civilians
  4. Provide immediate sufficient relief assistance for the evacuees (food, medicines, etc.) and rehabilitate displaced civilians and destroyed public infrastructures.
  5. Immediately investigate the military airstrikes and combat operations in the affected communities,
  6. Indemnify the victims of human rights and international humanitarian law violations
  7. The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians, and
  8. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.

Please send your letters to the following:

E. Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
2/F Bonifacio Hall, Malacañang, Manila
Tel: 733-3010 loc 882/ 887
Website: president.gov.ph

Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
7/F Agustin I Building,
F. Ortigas Jr. Road,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel: 6360701 to 06 / 637-6083
Fax: 638-2216
Email: stqd@opapp.net
Website: opapp.gov.ph

Secretary Leila M. de Lima
Department of Justice (DOJ)
DOJ Main Building,
Padre Faura Street, Manila
Tel: 521-1908
Fax: 523-5548
Email: doj.delime@gmail.com
Website: doj.gov.ph

Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin
Department of National Defense (DND)
DND Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City
Tel: 911-6193 / 911-1746
Fax 911-6213
Website: dnd.gov.ph

Hon.  Loretta Ann P. Rosales
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Building, UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email:   chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com, lorettann@gmail.com

And to the Philippine embassies and consulate offices in your respective countries

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address below.

Thank you very much and our deepest appreciation for your solidarity.

Sincerely yours,

(sgd) Marie Hilao Enriquez
Chairperson, Karapatan

(sgd) Cristina Palabay
Secretary General, Karapatan

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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
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Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman,
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties.  It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.

Killings continue amidst BS Aquino’s crisis — Karapatan

ICHRP Secretariat
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Killings continue amidst BS Aquino’s crisis — Karapatan

“Amidst the Aquino government’s crisis brought about by the Mamasapano fiasco, extrajudicial killings continue. BS Aquino is again taking a “business as usual” stance with regards to the crisis he is confronted with and this “business as usual” air is reflected in the continuing violations of human rights. Just this month, Karapatan received reports of three incidents of killings from North to South,” Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan said.

Initial report received by Karapatan cited the killing of Tata Baito on March 24, at 9:00a.m. Baito was a member of Lumad Group TINDOGA in Bukidnon.  Security personnel of landlord Pablo “Poling” Lorenzo fired at Baito and wounded two others, Japsem Bagnaand Ricky Tumbaga, whose upper bodies were hit by bullets.

The victims were members of Indigenous Group Tribal Indigenous Oppressed Group Association (TINDOGA) who are recognized as legitimate claimants of MONTALVAN Ranch, which occupies part of their ancestral domain. Currently locked in a web of land dispute, the land is claimed by seven other groups.

Lumad groups, including TINDOGA, were holding a “Bungkalan”, where they occupy and collectively till parts of their ancestral lands to assert their claims. Baito, with 200 other Lumad were on their way to the Bungkalan when about 20-30 armed men and security guards of Pablo Lorenzo open fired at them. Baito was killed instantly.

On March 16, in Barangay Matusalem, Roxas, Isabela, Virgilio Leotorco was begging for help when he was found by a farmer looking for his lost cow. “Tulungan ninyo ako. Nabaril ako. Mamamatay na ako,” (Help me. I was shot. I am dying), Leotorco said in Ilocano. Leotorco was shot thrice near the irrigation canal. He was out that night to catch frogs. Before the farmer could ask for help to bring Leotorco out from the irrigation canal, Leotorco died.

Leotorco, 56, was among the 66 settlers who are fighting for their resettlement area claimed by the Isabela State University. Another member of AMARI, Romulo dela Cruz was a victim of enforced disappearance. He has been missing since February 28, 2014.

On March 8, union organizer of PAMANTIK-KMU Florencio “Ka Bong” Romano was found dead along the side of the National Highway in Brgy. Surosuro Karsada, Batangas City. He was shot and his face was crushed. Romano’s friends and colleagues point to the Philippine Air Force stationed at the Fernando Airbase in Batangas City. Other leaders of progressive organizations have similarly experienced harassments and surveillance from the intelligence service of the Air Force.

“These men were killed because of the struggles they advanced the right to land and jobs. The bullets were meant to silence them, their colleagues and their communities,” Palabay said.

“Just like in the time of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when her administration was threatened with popular calls for resignation, human rights violations soared,” Palabay said. “BS Aquino now also shows the same desperation to keep his power,” Palabay said.

“For the Filipino people this only means one thing: the longer BS Aquino stays as president, the more desperate acts such as  killings and rights violations are bound to happen,” Palabay concluded.

http://www.karapatan.org/Killings+continue+amidst+BS+Aquino%27s+crisis

Reference:
Cristina “Tinay” Palabay
Secretary General
+63917-3162831

Angge Santos
Media Liaison
+63918-9790580

———————————————————————
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
———————————————————————

Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties.  It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.

AFP ordered to file charges vs personnel who harassed lawyer

ICHRP Secretariat
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AFP ordered to file charges vs personnel who harassed lawyer

MANILA, Philippines–The Court of Appeals has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to identify those in their ranks that are allegedly harassing a human rights lawyer and file appropriate charges against them.

In a 22-page decision, the appeals court Former Special Sixth Division also ordered respondents to produce before the court for possible destruction all information that the military has gathered about Atty. Maria Catherine Dannug-Salucon including records, photographs and dossiers.

Respondents include Chief Superintendent Miguel De Mayo Laurel, acting Regional Director of the Police Regional Office 2; General Hernando Irriberi, Commanding General of the Philippine Army; General Eduardo Año, the Commanding Officer of the Intelligence Services of the AFP; and former AFP chief of staff Emmanuel Bautista.

Dannug-Salucon, in her petition for writs of habeas data and amparo, said she received information that the military has put her under surveillance and labelled her as a “red lawyer” for representing political prisoners suspected to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

A member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyer (NUPL) based in Isabela, she said there were several instances of military men casing and asking about her and her activities.  She said there was an instance when a motorcycle cut off her car while pulling out of the garage.

Dannug-Salucon’s counsel Ephraim Cortez added that when her paralegal, William Bugatti, was killed that same day, he informed her that she needs additional security measures for her protection.

A writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty, and security has been violated or is threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity. The writ covers extralegal killings and enforced disappearances or threats.

A habeas data on the other hand, protects a person’s right to control information especially when the information against the person was illegally obtained.

The military, in its response to her petition, denied that it ever placed her under surveillance. It branded the allegations of the lawyer as “sweeping and mere fabrication.”

Still, the military said it verified the allegations of Dannug-Salucon.

But ISAFP denied involvement in any surveillance activity against the lady lawyer.

In its ruling, the appeals court said “after a careful review of the records of the instant case, we find that petitioner was able to prove by substantial evidence her allegation that she was subjected to surveillance operations and harassment by individuals working under the command of the respondents.”

While on some instances, the petitioner, according to the court relied heavily on hearsay evidence which are inadmissible but the petition involves her right to life, liberty and security.

“Thus, there is a need to exercise flexibility in the consideration of evidence which would otherwise not be admissible under the ordinary rules of procedure,” the appeals court thru Associate Justice Hakim Abdulwahid said.

Also, the appeals court added that they are not satisfied with the efforts taken by the military to confirm the allegations of Dannug-Salucon.

“A review of the records and documentary evidence presented by respondents [AFP] will show that, aside from the orders issued by respondents to the units or subordinates under their respective command, respondents did not exert greater effort in verifying the allegations of petitioner,” the appeals court said.

Concurring in the decision are Associate Justices Romeo Barza and Zenaida Galapate-Laguilles. ID

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/681254/afp-ordered-to-file-charges-vs-personnel-who-allegedly-harassed-lawyer

Scientists decry military delay tactics, push for dropping of physicist’s trumped-up cases

ICHRP Secretariat
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Scientists decry military delay tactics, push for dropping of physicist’s trumped-up cases

Free Kim Gargar Campaign

Scientist group Agham (Advocates of Science and Technology for the People) denounced military maneuvers that clearly aim to delay the proceedings of physicist Kim Gargar’s case.

Previous case hearings were all postponed due to different circumstances. In the most recent hearing on March 25, the complainants from the military have again failed to show up and produce their witness and testimonies.

“The case has dragged on for more than 17 months despite the prosecution’s weak and unsubstantial evidence. The military has time and again inhibited the progress of the case. This is obviously a form of harassment on the part of Kim Gargar and his family, designed to wear him down and keep him from doing his duties,” said Noel Jalmasco of Agham and spokesperson of the Free Kim Gargar Movement.

Kim Gargar, a former University of the Philippines professor and PhD candidate of Groningen University in the Netherlands, was conducting a rehabilitation study in Brgy. Aliwagwag in Davao Oriental, a typhoon-Pablo devastated area, before elements of the 67th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Military came and arrested him on October 1, 2013 after a crossfire between the military and the New People’s Army (NPA).

The military insisted that he is a member of the rebel group and was charged with two cases of attempted murder, violation of Comelec gun ban and illegal possession of explosives.

Friends and networks of Kim, including Prof. S. Poppema, President of Groningen University has written letters to President Aquino attesting that Kim is incapable of such criminal acts but the letters were unheeded.

“The four criminal cases were already found by the court to be unsubstantiated by a strong evidence and failed to justify the illegal arrest and detention. The Illegal Possession of Explosives is a non-bailable offence but Kim was released on bail owing to weak evidence. Yet, the military insists on their persecution,” said Jalmasco.

Gargar was released on bail August last year. The hearings are being conducted in the Municipality of Baganga, Davao Oriental, which is 6-hours away from Davao City, where Kim Gargar, his defense attorney, and the support groups are based.

“Delaying the trial not only prolongs the psychological impact on persons involved in the case but also drains the defendant’s meager resources, a substantial amount of which is wasted on travel. More importantly, it is also a crime committed not only to Kim but also to the marginalized people whom Kim is serving as a people’s scientist. These people have long been victims of neglect by the government and instead of supporting the advocacy of Kim to help these people, they vilified him by filing trumped-up charges .,” said Jalmasco.

Jalmasco furthered, “The military could not produce a credible witness yet there are additional five murder cases they intend to pursue.”

During the time Gargar was detained, a few days after his illegal arrest, he was charged with five (5) counts of Frustrated Murder before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Davao Oriental. However, the court downgraded the charges to four (4) counts of Attempted Murder and one (1) count of Frustrated Murder due to insufficiency of evidence. On August 1, 2014, the legal counsel of Gargar already submitted to the DOJ a petition for review to dismiss the cases but until now, the DOJ still hasn’t release its decision.

According to Jalmasco, “The arrest and filing of trumped-up charges against volunteer scientist Kim Gargar is a matter of great concern for many field scientists, researchers and members of the academe. The incident highlights the plight of many individuals who go to the rural areas to render valuable services for environmental and community needs but are vilified and harassed by military elements.”

“The brazen human rights violations under Aquino’s so-called daang-matuwid are crimes against the Filipino people. Just as the military is persistent on maligning Kim and propagating the culture of impunity, we will continue to call on the dropping of charges against Kim Gargar and upholding the rights of scientists and other political prisoners who have dedicated their lives to serving the poor and underprivileged. If the Aquino government cannot do this, we think it is but fitting to call for the President’s replacement,” ended Jalmasco.

Reference:
Noel Jalmasco
Advocates of Science and Technology for the People
Spokesperson, Free Kim Gargar Campaign
09175240580

Our mailing address is:
Free Kim Gargar Now!
127B Scout Fuentebella Street
Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City 1103
Philippines

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