http://www.karapatan.org/International+organizations+score+PH+rights+situation

“The things that BS Aquino failed to mention about the Philippines to European Union heads of states are those which need much attention, like the human rights situation in the country,” Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan said on the eve of BS Aquino’s return from his state visits in European countries. “The human rights situation is in a sorry state that even organizations outside the Philippines are reacting,” Palabay said.

In Madrid, Spain, Spanish organizations sent a letter to BS Aquino on his visit to said country. “…we feel the moral obligation to take advantage of your short stay in Madrid to share with you our deep concern caused by reports, through various channels and outside ideologies, that, for a long time we have been receiving on the situation of human rights in Philippines, ” the letter stated citing the recent Karapatan-documented human rights violations.

Meanwhile in North America, Canada-based human rights organization stated, “The Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR), joins the Filipino human rights defenders, environmental advocates, people’s organizations, and international rights groups in strongly denouncing the killing of Engr. Fidella “Delle” Salvador, a people’s engineer, a community development worker and a woman of courage.”

Killed on September 5, 2014 by the 41st Infantry Battalion in Lacub, Abra, Engr. Salvador was in a Abra to monitor projects as a consultant of Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services.

“We note, that the killing Engr. Salvador is the latest extra-judicial killing perpetrated against an environmental advocate, specially a disaster responder. A total of seventy-seven (77) environmental advocates have been killed since 2001, of which thirty-nine (39) killings occurred under your Administration,” the CPSHR letter said.

“BS Aquino could not anymore hide the ills of the Philippine society with plain words such as ‘good governance’. Even international organizations are aware of the Mr. Aquino’s ‘bad governance’ and he won’t be able to escape issues such as poverty, corruption and human rights in foreign land,” Palabay said.

The Spanish organization asked the Philippines to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It also urged the government to “ensure to take necessary steps to end all violations of human rights of the impoverished majority of your country, and that the Right to the Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non Repetition becomes a reality for victims during your term and during previous terms.”

The Spain-based organizations who signed the letter to BS Aquino were: APDHE (Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de España) COMADEHCO (Comité por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos en Colombia) ICID (Iniciativas de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo) IEPALA (Instituto de Estudios Políticos para América Latina y África) IU (Izquierda Unida) Justicia por Colombia OSPAAAL (Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de África, Asia y América Latina) GM-Los Verdes Confederación CDHHG (Comisión de Derechos Humanos Hispano-Guatemalteca).

“We urge your government to resume the Peace Talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) to earnestly address the root causes of armed conflict in issues affecting the majority of the Filipino people: landlessness, poverty and hunger, environmental destruction, human rights violations to name a few. It is only through addressing the basic issues that are affecting the majority of the population, you call your “bosses,” could a nation achieve a just and lasting peace,” CPSHR letter pointed out.

“During the time of Mrs. Arroyo, the international organizations similarly called the government’s attention to the endless cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances,” Palabay said. “Look where she is now: imprisoned,” Palabay concluded.

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

Angge Santos
Media Liaison
+63918-9790580

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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. 

Rights groups SELDA (Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto) and Hustisya condemned the death of Benny Barid, political prisoner at the New Bilibid Prisons Maximum Security Compound, Muntinlupa City, who died at 11:00 AM yesterday, September 18, at the NBP Hospital.

“We hold the Aquino government accountable for the death of Benny Barid. His death is the face of martial law in our country today. He suffered and died because of the cruelty and injustice of this government that speaks of “democracy” but denies the right of political prisoners to be free,” said Cristina Guevarra, Hustisya secretary general.

For three years, Barid had stayed as a patient at the NBP Hospital. He suffered from chronic asthmatic bronchitis with emphysema. He cannot stand up alone, and needs to be put in a wheelchair to move from one place to another. Fellow political prisoners are the ones who look for means to acquire his needed medicines. His further stay at the NBP Hospital has made him more vulnerable to various diseases.

Fellow political prisoners at the NBP mourned at the death of their kosa and kasama, but likewise demanded justice.

“Halos tatlong taon siyang nakaratay sa NBP Hospital sa labis na panghihina dahil sa kanyang karamdaman na kanyang ikinamatay. Nagpapaabot po kaming mga bilanggong pulitikal sa pamilya at kaanak ni Barid ng aming lubos na pakikiramay. Salik ang malaking kakulangan sa sapat at maayos na serbisyong pang-piitan sa mahirap na pinagdaanan ni Barid. Gayundin, nawalan na ng pag-asa si Barid dahil sa kawalan ng kongkretong hakbang ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang tugunan ang makatarungang pagpapalaya sa lahat ng bilanggong pulitikal. Tuloy ang laban para sa kalayaan!” said the NBP political prisoners in a statement.

Exactly a year ago, Alison Alcantara, 55 years old and also a political prisoner at NBP, died of pneumonia, sepsis and fatal arrhythmia.  He was only brought to the Philippine General Hospital after he fell into a coma at the NBP Hospital.

“How many more ailing political prisoners will suffer from the dire and subhuman conditions inside different detention centers in the country? How many more after Alison Alcantara and Benny Barid?” said Guevarra.Arrested in July 2006, Barid was accused of involvement in a massacre which happened in 2004. His child was allegedly hostaged by the military to force him to surrender. He was a victim of trumped-up charges four times, the last of which he was sentenced to three counts of lifetime imprisonment in the NBP Maximum Security Compound.

He was a political detainee of the Marcos dictatorship, but was granted amnesty under the Cory Aquino government. He was again arrested sometime in 2004 for subversion and illegal possession of firearms. The case was dismissed, but his lawyer was killed after handling his case. In 2005, the military detained him for almost two months, when they searched his house and allegedly found firearms in his possession. In all incidents, the military and police consistenly pinned him down as a member of the New People’s Army.

SELDA to BS Aquino: Free ailing political prisoners now!

SELDA, meanwhile, dared the Aquino government to immediately release ailing political prisoners on September 21, the 42nd year commemoration of martial law.

The group said decades after the martial law years, the Philippines continues to face the bleak reality of the existence of political prisoners. Rights of political prisoners are repeatedly violated as they are slapped with trumped-up criminal charges , arbitrarily arrested and illegally detained. Many of them are tortured and denied their right to counsel and due process. They suffer inhumane prison conditions and prolonged imprisonment, and snail-paced judicial process.

Of the 504 political prisoners in the country under the Aquino government, 53 are ailing political prisoners.

“We dare Pres. Aquino to immediately release ailing political prisoners on humanitarian grounds,” SELDA spokesperson Roneo Clamor said, “The poor and inadequate health services that the government provides endanger the lives of the relatively more vulnerable sick and elderly political prisoners. The meager budget allotted to prison inmates makes jails and detention facilities barely habitable, unsafe and hazardous to the health and general well-being of prisoners.  Keeping the sick and elderly political prisoners longer in prison leads to serious health complications that could be life-threatening.”

“Pres. Aquino’s hands are bloodied with the death of ailing political prisoners. His government’s callousness and injustice against them are no different from Marcos. The Aquino government perpetuates the culture of impunity. We call on the people to unite and demand justice and freedom for all political prisoners!” ended Clamor.

References:
Cristina Guevarra
Hustisya secretary general
+63949-1772928

Roneo “Jigs” Clamor
SELDA spokesperson
+63999-7721233

SELDA National Office:
2/F, Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets,
Brgy. Central District, Diliman,
Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Tel: 632-4347486
Fax: 632-4354146
Email: selda.phils@gmail.com, selda_phil@yahoo.com.ph
Web: www.seldapilipinas.wordpress.com
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Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) is an organization of former political prisoners in the Philippines. Founded on December 4, 1984, SELDA was initiated by newly-released political prisoners of the martial law period.  SELDA’s primary task is to work for the release of all political prisoners and to see to it that humane treatment of those who are still in detention are complied with by the Philippine authorities.  SELDA advocates justice for current and former political prisoners.  It calls for the mobilisation of resources in support of political prisoners, former detainees and their families.  It carries out legislative advocacy for the indemnification and rehabilitation of political prisoners. SELDA goes into partnership and builds solidarity with concerned individuals and groups for the freedom and welfare of political prisoners and all victims of tyranny. 

Please forward this wherever and whenever you can to strengthen the international protest and solidarity movement for human rights in the Philippines, which people needs for their life in standing up to fight for a liberated world!

On the last Monday-demonstration in Stuttgart, 15th of September 2014, we made a little party to the 10th anniversary of the fight against the unsocial law Hartz 4 and other issues.

On this anniversary we continued as well our vigil for James Balao. We counted- as it was decided in October 2008 in the partnership agreement between the Monday-Demonstration Movement Stuttgart and the family Balao and Cordillera People Alliance (CPA) the days of the disappearance of James Balao. James Balao was a founding member of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and a fighter for freedom and against the plundering of nature by open-pit mining. It is now the 6th year of the disappearance of James Balao. This means 6 years of waiting, 6 years of tears and remembrances and 6 years of international protest, 6 years of demanding justice and for demanding to stop impunity. The killers and murders are still living among us and they think, that they could go on with their counter insurgency US made plan „ Oplan Bayanihan“.

After 6 years we still want to know, what happened to James and we demand that the responsible persons and authority will be jailed into prison like the former dictators in Argentina. More than 30 years the Mothers of the Placo de Mayo demand for the truth and for stopping impunity. They have been successful and we will be successful as well, there is no doubt!

On this Monday-demonstration we remembered as well that on the 14th of September 1973 the revolutionary singer and songwriter Victor Jara was murdered together with thousands of other freedom fighters in Chile by the US-leaded counterrevolution against Salvador Allende and the progressiv government. It was said, that in fighting for a bright future with bread and roses our killed brothers and sisters accompany us always. We are proud to held up the banner of humanity all around the world and we know, that we will hold and close the line, if one of us is murdered or enforced disappeared:

Touch one-touch all!
Long live international solidarity!

If the President Aquino III visits Germany and Europe in these days we protest against this visit. If he shakes hand with Chancellor Angela Merkel we know, that there is blood and repression in his hand! We accuse Chancellor Angela Merkel for peace- and human right washing with Aquino III while in the Philippines a lot of human right and trade union activists are jailed into prison, killed or enforced disappeared like James Balao. We know as well that they are talking about preparing next wars in the Chinese Sea together with the USA.

German Philippines Friends and the Monday-demonstration in Stuttgart demand

• Surface all the truth of James Balao
• Stop the killings
• Stop impunity
• Free all political prisoners

On behalf of the Monday-demonstration of the 15th of September 2014, Stuttgart, Germany

Statement on the visit of BS Aquino to Europe

WE view with utmost indignation the visit of Philippine president Benigno S. Aquino III to Europe from 14-20 September 2014. His visit on an expensive chartered flight is a waste of the people’s money better spent on the victims of typhoons, and on housing and employment for the country’s urban poor and millions of jobless Filipinos.

He and his coterie will be traveling around Europe principally seeking to repair what is, in fact, the irreparably damaged image of his regime’s supposed ‘righteous path’ that has been exposed to be rotten and crooked before the eyes of the Filipino people and the international community.  He will beg for increased political and material support from major European governments as his regime suffers political isolation in the Philippines and further sinks into the quagmire of corruption scandals involving the theft of public funds by his family and close allies not seen since the time of the Marcos dictatorship.

He is following the footsteps of the much-hated dictator Ferdinand Marcos by seeking an extension of his term despite being forbidden by the Philippine constitution, which he will try to dismantle by using the fiscal resources of the government that is under his absolute disposal.

As concerned citizens and residents of Europe, we demand answers on several urgent issues affecting the Filipino people:

• Where is the money raised in Europe for the rehabilitation of the victims of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)? Where is the rehabilitation, almost one year after the disaster?
• Where are the trillions of pesos of public funds used as “pork barrel” under such names as Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), etc.? Despite having usurped absolute control over public funds, how come essential social services remain starved of much-needed funds?
• Why all the posturing on defending Philippine sovereignty on the issue of China’s claims, while on the other hand, signing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) allowing US troops to occupy every corner of the Philippines?
• Where is justice and human rights under Aquino’s regime? Gross and systematic violations of human rights persist despite having received large funds from the EU to enhance human rights in the Philippines! There is still no justice for two European citizens murdered under Aquino’s counterinsurgency scheme — missionaries Fr. Pops Tentorio of Italy and Willem Geertman of the Netherlands. He won’t rein in impunity, because he knows that his Oplan Bayanihan equals human rights violations.
• Why continue to hype about the country’s supposed economic progress, when it’s only Aquino’s clan and business allies that benefit, and that the majority of the people continue to suffer under very poor and inhuman conditions? Why hype about progress when the number of Filipino migrants in search of jobs continues to increase in Europe and the rest of the world?
• Why the continued intransigence in continuing peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) towards a just and lasting peace, which the European Parliament has endorsed?

We join in solidarity with the Filipino people in firmly opposing BS Aquino’s scheme to extend his term and become another Marcos. Aquino´s ambition to become another Marcos assassinates the democratic legacy not only of his parents, but all of those who fought and died fighting the Marcos dictatorship.

We join the people in calling for the prosecution of ALL involved in the pork barrel scam and all forms of corruption — from BS Aquino to his close political allies and family members. We call for an end to impunity and a stop to the political killings! We call on the solidarity of our European friends to join us in asking European governments: STOP political support and aid to the corrupt, oppressive, fascist, puppet and rotten Aquino regime!

Signatories:

• International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
• BAYAN Europe
• Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines – United Kingdom (CHRP-UK)
• Dutch-Filipino Solidarity Movement (NFS)
• Filipino Refugees in the Netherlands
• ICHRP-Rome, Italy
• MIGRANTE Europe – (Migrante Austria, Migrante Denmark, Migrante Geneva, Migrante Milan, Migrante Netherlands, Umangat-Migrante Rome, Ugnayan ng mga Pilipino sa Belgium, Migrante-UK, Filipino Domestic Workers-London, Filipino Scholars in Berlin, Concerned Filipino-Germans in Berlin and Hamburg, Makabayang Samahan ng mga Pilipino-Netherlands)

References:
CANON BARRY NAYLOR
Chairperson, Global Council
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
and Honorary Chairperson of the
Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines – United Kingdom (CHRP-UK)
Office: +44 (0) 116 261 5371
Email: inquire@humanrightsphilippines.net

REV. CESAR TAGUBA
MIGRANTE Europe
Email: office@migrante.eu

We enjoin the European community to join us in exacting accountability from the BS Aquino government; please feel free to forward and affix your signature/endorse this statement to your networks.

NEVER AGAIN TO ANOTHER MARCOS DICTATORSHIP!