Home Blog Page 156

Spare the children, uphold basic human rights in the dirty war

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
Spare the children, uphold basic human rights in the dirty war

http://www.karapatan.org/EcuVoice%3A+Spare+the+children%2C+Uphold+basic+human+rights+in+the+dirty+war

“The growing number of children victims of extra judicial killings in the Philippines is alarming. We appeal to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to investigate these cases of extra judicial killing of children and we urge the Philippine government to respect the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and to comply with its obligation under international human rights law,” stated Atty. Ephraim Cortez, assistant secretary general for legal  services of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), in his oral intervention during the general debates of the 25th United Nations Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, Switzerland on March 14, 2014.

Cortez, who also spoke in the name  of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, (IADL), was part of the delegation of the Ecumenical Voice for Peace and Human Rights in the Philippines (EcuVoice), a network of human rights defenders and faith-based institutions advocating for peace and human rights issues in the country.

“In the Philippines, under the Aquino administration, 18 children have been victims of extrajudicial killings. The government continues to sow violence and terror through military operations under the counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, claiming children’s lives,” said Cortez, as he welcomed the reports of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children in armed conflicts and on violence against children.

He cited the cases of 7-year old Richard Mancera, 10-year old Michael Mancera and their father who were killed by soldiers of the 49th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in their house in Camarines Norte on February 25, 2012; 8-year old Roque Antivo from Compostela Valley who was killed by elements of the 71st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army on April 3, 2013; and 16-year old Victor Freay who was killed by the 39th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and Task Force KITACO on August 23, 2013. All of the cases were documented by human rights groups Karapatan and the Children’s Rehabilitation Center.

“In 2012 alone, a total of 13 children were killed. In these documented cases, four of the children were living in militarized communities protesting the entry of mining companies; four were killed because of indiscriminate firing of state security forces forces; two of the victims were tagged as members of the New People’s Army; nine of the victims were inside their homes when they were killed. Not one perpetrator involved in the above cases has been arrested, prosecuted and brought to jail,” Cortez concluded.

Reference:
Atty. Ephraim Cortes
Assistant Secretary General for Legal Services
National Union of People’s Lawyers

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

Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District
Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
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. 

Open letter to Pres. BS Aquino III: On The Extrajudicial killing of Romeo Capalla

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
Open letter to Pres. BS Aquino III: On The Extrajudicial killing of Romeo Capalla

Dear Mr. President

I trust you were as shocked by the slaying of Romeo Capalla as were many other people. I believe he is the latest of many scores of human rights defenders and advocates who have been slain since you became President of the Philippines.

As Honorary President of the Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines (UK) and Chair of the Global Council of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, I, respectfully, ask for:

  • The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the latest extrajudicial killing of Romeo Capalla.
  • An end to the policy of automatically labelling, and targeting of, human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the CPP” and “enemies of the state.”
  • The withdrawal of Oplan Bayanihan, your government’s counterinsurgency program, that you know very well victimizes innocent and unarmed civilians.
  • The observation of, and adherence to, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all the major Human Rights instruments that your Government  is both party to and signatory of.

Your nation remains much in my prayers and my heart longs for the day when all your citizens may live in justice and in dignity with a fair share of the nation’s blessings and without the fear of the assassin’s bullet.

Yours truly,

The Reverend Canon Barry Naylor
Urban Canon and Sub Dean

Cathedral Logo
www.leicestercathedral.org
Leicester Cathedral
St Martins House
7 Peacock Lane
Leicester LE1 5PZ

Karapatan to BS Aquino: shape up or ship out

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
Karapatan to BS Aquino: shape up or ship out

Extrajudicial killings on the rise

http://karapatan.org/Extrajudicial+killings+on+the+rise+Karapatan+to+BS+Aquino%3A+shape+up+or+ship+out

The National Council of Karapatan, in a recently concluded meeting, called on BS Aquino to “shape up or ship out” as the human rights alliance condemned the rising incidents of extrajudicial killings, now with 11 people killed in the first ten weeks of 2014.

“If the Aquino government cannot control and stop its killing spree, BS Aquino, the commander in-chief of the armed forces, has no business staying in Malacañang,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.

The members of the National Council of Karapatan, representing 16 regional chapters and people’s organizations gathered at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to air the call to stop the killings and for the government to find and punish the perpetrators of these killings and other human rights violations. The group also called for the junking of Oplan Bayanihan, Aquino’s version of Gloria Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya.
The latest victim of extrajudicial killing is Romeo Capalla who was shot on March 15 in Oton, Iloilo province; and father and sons, Licuben, Eddie and Freddie Ligiw in Baay-Licuan, Abra province. The three were missing for a few days and found buried in a shallow grave on March 8.

“Just two weeks ago we were here at the DOJ to sound the alarm bell and protest the seven reported incidents of killing in the first six weeks of 2014. In a matter of two weeks, four more incidents of extrajudicial killings happened,” Palabay said. “Naghahabol ng ba ng quota ang ang gobyernong ito?” Palabay asked.

The protesters again laid down “corpses” in front of the DOJ like they did two weeks ago; this time with 11 “dead bodies”. “The BS Aquino government stinks—with corpses of victims of rights violations and those who were victims of his criminal negligence during disasters. Families of victims cry out for justice but the Aquino regime knows nothing about justice,” Palabay said.

Karapatan said the Aquino government has no intentions to render justice. It noted that as cases of human rights violations mount up, justice has not been served to Fernando Baldomero, the first victim of extrajudicial killing under the Aquino regime. Baldomero was killed five days after Aquino assumed presidency. Since then, Karapatan has documented 169 victims of extra-judicial killing (as of December 2013).

Baldomero was detained on false charges of arson in 2005, under the Arroyo regime. “Who would have known that Baldomero’s co-accused, Romeo Capalla would become the 180th documented victim of extrajudicial killing. BS Aquino finished off what Arroyo started during the OBL,” Palabay said.

Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan and Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya are both local versions of the US Counter Insurgency program. “With the imminent signing of a new framework agreement between Aquino and Obama—the basing of US troops in the Philippines and a direct hand in the local counterinsurgency operations of the Philippines armed forces –the Philippines will become a killing field,” Palabay warned.

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 Floor 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.

Protest grave threats against Ed Cubelo, President of Toyota Motor Phil Corp Workers Association

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
Protest grave threats against Ed Cubelo, President of Toyota Motor Phil Corp Workers Association

Factsheet:  Threat, Harassment, Intimidation to Ed Cubelo, President of Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation Workers Association (TMPCWA) and Education Officer of Defend  Job Philippines (DJP)

Incident: Threat, Harassment, Intimidation

Date of Incident: 2:00 – 2:30 in the afternoon, 18 March 2014

Place of Incident: 1482 Elephant Street, Barangay Post Proper Southside, Makati City

Victim: Ed Cubelo, President TMPCWA and Education Officer, Defend Job Philippines

Perpetrators: Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation

Account of Incident:

At 2:00 in the afternoon, Ed Cubelo’s nephew, Mark Christopher (MC) Nolos, informed him that a man is looking for someone from Toyota.

Ed told his daughter, Jenny, to go downstairs to check then Ed followed her because it might be a mail messenger who occasionally delivers letters or documents from the International Labor Organization or from other institutions who regularly send him letters like members of TMPCWA.

Ed was downstairs and saw one man, age 45-50 years old, with tough and big body build. The man was talking to Jenny and to MC. The man asked Jenny if there is someone from Toyota in their house. Jenny asked the man if who or what is the name of the person that they are looking for. Then another man of the same physique went near at the gate of the house.

Ed asked the two men if what they want.  Then the man called another man who was standing at the store and another one went near at the gate. There were four men wearing civilian clothes but armed with short pistols who were standing in front of the gate.  Ed was worried that these men might shoot him because they were armed. The four men gave Ed an ireful look. Then the two men asked again if there is somebody from Toyota in their house. Ed answered if who are they looking for and the men answered with different names, which seems like guessing.

Ed asked the men who they are. Then the men answered that they are from the NBI. Then the men once again asked if there is someone from Toyota in the house. Ed replied that there is no such name that is living there. Yet the men insisted again the question. Ed replied that there is someone who was formerly from Toyota. Then one man asked for the name of that person. Ed replied the name Ed. Then the man firmly said “Ahh, it’s you! Yes, it’s you.”  Ed did not reply anymore.  The four men kept on looking at Ed badly while slowly moving away from the house.  Suddenly, Ed told his nephew to close the gate. The men were still looking at him.

Ed asked his nephew to look after the destination of the men. He also asked Jenny to go up and check how many men were all there. Ed also watched the men walking at the corner of Levi Mariano High Way. One man crossed the street while the three other men are talking to each other.

Then Jenny and MC went after the men. The one man rode a motorcycle while the three rode an old Toyota car with plate number JSJ238.

More than a week before the incident, four men were also caught doing surveillance during a protest action of TMPCWA and Defend Job Philippines at the Department of Labor and Employment, Intramuros. Manila on March 5, 2014.

www.tmpcwa.org/index_html

http://defendjobphilippines.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/billionaires-and-tycoons-wealth-at-the-expense-of-workers-and-peoples-rights/

Ed Cubelo believes that this recent incident aims to stop him, TMPCWA and Defend Job Philippines in the continuing campaign for justice for all 237 illegally dismissed workers of Toyota. It also aims to stop the strengthening and broadening unity of other workers who have the same experience and struggle against precarious work and all forms of persecution such as in Philippine Airlines, ABS CBN, Advan Shoes, Print Town, Pepsi Cola, Carina Apparel and others.

The said incident happened a day after a successful protest caravan against contractualization and persecution and for the right to freely form unions and for justice.  The caravan was initiated by TMPCWA, KMU NCR, ANGLO KMU NCR, Nagkakaisang Manggagawa sa Print Town, Bleustar Workers Labor Union (Advan Shoes), University Hotel Workers Union, KADAMAY NCR, Tambuli ng Mamamayan and Defend Job Philippines. The caravan went to Toyota Motors main plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Carina Apparel Main Plant and Print Town/Inquirer Group Plant in Binan, Laguna, Main office of Print Town/Inquirer Group, Toyota Bel-Air Dealer Store, Supreme Court, Department of Justice, Court of Appeals at culminated the protest in front of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Defend Job Philippines denounces the recent harassment to Ed Cubelo and believes that this is part of the criminalization of trade union leaders and human rights defenders.  DJP said that those people defending economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights are always subject to criminalization and political persecution.  Previously, Renante Gamara, Roy Velez and Amelita Bravante of KMU NCR, Randy Vegas at Raul Camposano of COURAGE are facing trumped charges. Gamara, Vegas and Camposano are currently detained.  Such fabricated charges are also experienced by many human rights defenders from various sectors.  DJP is highly concerned that this harassment against Ed Cubelo will lead to another fabricated charges and warrant of arrest or possible extra judicial killing. According to the data of KARAPATAN, there are 11 victims of extrajudicial killing in the last two and a half months, starting in January 2014. They documented 169 victims of extrajudicial killing starting July 2010, from when BS Aquino assumed presidency, to December 2013.

http://sos.escr-net.org/Stop-criminalizing-human-rights-defenders-in-the-Philippines

Background:

Sometime in year 2000 at the height of organizing and struggling for a union inside Toyota factory, when Ed Cubelo first experienced threat, harassment and intimidation.  Armed men who identified themselves as PSG or Presidential Security Group went to his house and asked for his whereabouts.

It was followed sometime in 2007 and 2008 where riding in tandem motorcycles were roaming around at his place and looking for him.

Also, sometime in 2008, the 202nd infantry unifier brigade camped beside the office of TMPCWA in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Every day, the military were looking for Ed and other leaders of the union.

During the International Labor Organization High Level Mission in the Philippines on 2009, the harassment against Ed Cubelo and to TMPCWA was one of the major agenda of the mission. Months after the ILO HLM, a recommendation to the Philippine Government was issued to ensure the safety and protection of Ed Cubelo and TMPCWA against all forms police and military harassment, criminalization and persecution.

http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_124972.pdf

Suggested action:

Write letter of appeal to Philippine Government Agencies calling to stop the harassment to Ed Cubelo and other trade union leaders/human rights defenders.

Mr. Benigno Aquino III
President, Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80

Ms. Loretta Ann Rosales
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
E-mail: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com

Police Director Alan LM Purisima
Chief, Philippine National Police
Camp General Rafael Crame
Quezon City, Philippines
Fax +632 7248763
Email: feedback@pnp.gov.ph

Ms. Leila de Lima
Secretary, Department of Justice (DOJ)
DOJ Building, Padre Faura
1004 Manila
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 521 1614
E-mail: soj@doj.gov.ph

Cc: tmpcwa1998@yahoo.com, defendjobphilippines@yahoo.com

———————————————-

Melona Repunte Daclan

Campaign Director, Defend Job Philippines

Telephone: 02-353-5760

Defend Job Philippines is a member of International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Karapatan to BS Aquino: STOP THE KILLINGS!

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
Karapatan to BS Aquino: STOP THE KILLINGS!

http://www.karapatan.org/Karapatan+to+BS+Aquino%3A+STOP+THE+KILLINGS%21

Karapatan, through its secretary general Cristina Palabay, today called on all civil libertarians and human rights defenders in the country and in the international community to demand from the BS Aquino government to take concrete steps to stop the spate of killings, as another activist was slain on 15 March in Oton, Iloilo.Romeo Capalla, 65, chairperson of the Board of Directors and former manager of the Panay Fair Trade Center (PFTC), was shot by unidentified gunmen at the Oton Public Market around 6:30 p.m. He sustained two gunshot wounds in the head and was declared dead on arrival at the Western Visayas Medical Center.

Capalla is the 11th victim of extrajudicial killing in the last two and a half months, starting in January 2014. Karapatan has documented 169 victims of extrajudicial killing starting July 2010, from when BS Aquino assumed presidency, to December 2013.

“As early as February, Karapatan already sounded the alarm as the cases of killings started to rise. There were killings once a week, on the average. We see a comeback of Gloria Arroyo’s Oplan Bayanihan. The BS Aquino government is speeding up the implementation of Oplan Bayanihan to meet its internal deadline and offset its failure in the last three years,” Palabay added.

Capalla was arrested on 3 August 2005 based on trumped up charges of arson. His co-accused in the said case, Aklan councilor Fernando Baldomero, became the first victim of extrajudicial killing under the BS Aquino regime. Baldomero was killed five days after Aquino was sworn into office in 2010.

“BS Aquino government’s audacity to face the people, to lie on the human rights situation in the country and bid for a seat the United Nations Commission on Human Rights is unbelievable. It has not done anything as new cases of killings are happening one after another, while those committed in the past years remain unsolved,” added Palabay.

Capalla was at the market to assist his mother in-law when the gunmen shot him; hitting the right side of his head, near the temple.  His left eye popped because of the bullet. The Oton police said aside from the gunmen, there were three others who fled from the market to the town of San Miguel, Iloilo.

Capalla was chairperson of the board of the PFTC, and was also its manager. The PFTC, a member organization of the International Federation of Alternative Trade, exports certified-organicmuscovado sugar and banana chips.

He was a member of Samahan ng mga Ex-detainee Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA). Even after the dismissal of the false charges against him, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police did not stop harassing and tagging Capalla commander of the New People’s Army.  He was included in the order of battle list of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in 2004.

Romy Capalla is the brother of Archbishop Fernando Capalla, former chairperson of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

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 Floor 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. 

1...155156157...256Page 156 of 256