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Philippine protests mark International Human Rights Day 2013

ICHRP Secretariat
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Philippine protests mark International Human Rights Day 2013

Protests led by people’s organizations in various provinces and key cities in the Philippines marked the commemoration of the 65th International Human Rights Day.  The protests focused on BS Aquino’s accountability in the continuing human rights violations and impunity, poverty and corruption, and puppetry to US government’s dictates.

In Bicol, a total of 110 ‘mass action centers’ were set up from the Quezon-Bicol boundary, in Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte, in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, in Bulan and Matnog, Sorsogon. There were also protest actions held in the provinces of Masbate, Burias and Ticao islands. There were marches and rallies in city centers in the whole region such as in Daet and in the cities of Naga, Ligao, Legazpi, Sorsogon, and Masbate, which called for Aquino’s resignation.

In Davao City, some 5,000 members of multi-sectoral organizations attended the protest march which called for the ouster of the US-Aquino regime. The human rights day protest was attended by mostly victims of BS Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan in Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, and Agusan del Sur.

Also in Mindanao, B’laan tribe members, environmental defenders, and rights activists held a protest action in front of the office of the  Glencore-Xstrata-SMI Office in General Santos City, the mining company responsible for the massacre of the B’laan leader Juvy Capion and her two sons, and Juvy’s brother in-law, Kitari Capion. The B’laan held rituals of war and justice during the program.

Bayan and Karapatan Negros led the protest action in Bacolod City to decry the increasing attacks against political activists through trumped up charges filed against them. They also called for the release of all political prisoners.

Members of Karapatan and Bayan in Southern Tagalog region held a caravan from Batangas to Laguna and proceeded to Quezon City. The contingent stormed the gates of the Aquino residence in Times Street, Quezon City early morning of Dec. 10. They held BS Aquino responsible for the continuing state violence in the region, specifically the abduction and disappearance of Ben Villeno, a trade union leader be surfaced. Later, they converged with the rest of the protesters at Blumentritt St. in Manila to join the protest march to Mendiola.

In the National Capital Region, a people’s march going to the Malacaῆang gates was led by Karapatan and Bayan. An effigy dubbed “P-Noy the Destroyer” depicted BS Aquino as the destroyer of the people’s lives, rights, and livelihood. During the program in Mendiola, the effigy was burned to ashes, to show the people’s outrage over the US-Aquino regime’s its criminal negligence, continuing rights violations, corruption, and impunity.

There were also protest marches held in Roxas City in Capiz province led by Bayan-Capiz and Bayan Muna-Capiz. The organizations demanded justice and accountability for the Aquino government’s criminal neglect of typhoon victims.

In Baguio, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance together with other progressive organizations marched along Session Road in Bagiuo City. Protesters, including martial law victims, held a streamer saying, “Hold the Aquino government accountable for human rights violations!”

Karapatan and Bayan chapters in Central Luzon, Northern and Western Mindanao, and Cebu also conducted forums and cultural programs.

For more photos of the 2013 Human Rights Day commemoration, please check:
http://arkibongbayan.org/2013/2013-12Dec10-IHRday2013/ihr2013-2.htm

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KARAPATAN National Office
2/F Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin cor. Matatag Streets
Central District, 1100 Quezon City
Philippines
Email: karapatan@karapatan.org
Telefax: +632.4354146
Web Site: http://www.karapatan.org

ICHRP stands up for the human rights of Filipino migrant workers

ICHRP Secretariat
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ICHRP stands up for the human rights of Filipino migrant workers

Over 10 million Filipino men and women are working overseas on short term contracts because of the abject failure of successive Philippines governments to meet basic economic needs since Marcos in the late 1960s. This in itself is a massive breach of human rights set out in the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights which came into force in 1976.

In December 2000, the UN General Assembly designated December 18 as International Migrants Day. A decade earlier, on December 18, 1990, the UN adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. Almost 25 years later, migrants continue to struggle for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Although a signatory to the Convention, the Philippine government has never strayed from its reliance on the policy of labor export to generate billions in remittances for the nation and to address the perpetual problem of joblessness. In fact, the number of Filipinos who leave the country has steadily grown since the Convention was signed by the Philippines. Choosing this path instead of people’s sustainable development removes an individual’s right to determine their future by removing the choice to stay in the Philippines and earn a decent living.

Although the current BS Aquino government has claimed that it is making domestic job creation a priority so that migrants can return, the policies the administration chooses to implement make that an elusive goal. Its acceptance of the Bali WTO package will continue to undermine local agriculture, food sovereignty, and industry which are key for jobs and livelihood. It is these very policies that have been implemented in the Philippines for decades that have trapped the Philippines in a chronic economic crisis, and in a cycle of deficit and mounting debt. It has created the kind of impoverishment that forces individuals to migrate out of necessity and desperation despite the heavy financial, physical and emotional cost to themselves and their families.

At the same time, the Philippine government has done little to protect the rights of migrants who face slave-like work conditions, sexual abuse, and human trafficking among other abuses. Doing so would undermine the image they are trying to promote of a cheap, subservient workforce available to fuel worldwide industries, work in the fields, run ships, and fill service jobs. It would put at risk the mirage of a stable and growing investor-friendly market which, in reality, is being propped up by the billions remitted yearly by Filipino migrants.

It is within this context that the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines stands with migrants who are challenging the anti-people model of “migration for development” and “managing migration”. This false model was called into question most recently at the Fourth International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees (IAMR4). Through this model of “migration for development”, governments are happily passing the responsibility and burden of financing development onto migrants’ shoulders. They are abdicating their responsibility to create people-centered development in their respective countries, which is impossible to achieve within the neoliberal framework.

As has been the case with the human rights crisis in the Philippines, the government is unwilling to address the landlessness and joblessness that is at the root of the crisis and promotes shallow resolutions which at the end ultimately benefit the elite and maintain the status quo. We are acutely aware that the vast majority of human rights violations in the Philippines have been committed against individuals and communities who are doing what the Philippine government has refused to do in addressing landless and joblessness.

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines stands hand in hand with migrants from the Philippines for the right to people-centered development. We stand and fight with migrants struggling for a future where there exists opportunities for a just and humane way to sustain their basic needs and to flourish. We stand for the right to organize against the economic and political forces that are behind forced migration and the human rights crisis in the Philippines.

References:
Canon Barry Naylor
Chairperson, Global Council
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
Office: +44 (0) 116 261 5371
Mobile: +44 (0) 775 785 3621

Peter Murphy
General Secretary, Global Council
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
Mobile: +61 418312301

Katrina Abarcar
Member, Global Council
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
Email: info@katarungan-dc.org

BS Aquino, DAR should be held accountable for continued agrarian unrest in Hacienda Luisita

ICHRP Secretariat
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BS Aquino, DAR should be held accountable for continued agrarian unrest in Hacienda Luisita

Cojuangcos wreak renewed land grab, terror with impunity

“Noong Oktubre, nagdeklara ang DAR na ‘tapos na ang pagdurusa’ ng mga magbubukid sa Hacienda Luisita dahil namigay na sila ng kopya ng mga CLOA. Pero ano’ng nangyayari ngayon? Pinabuldoser ng mga Cojuangco ang mga palay, kinasuhan at pinapalayas ang daan-daang magsasaka. Ito ba ang pinagmamalaki nilang reporma sa lupa?” [Back in October, the Department of Agrarian Reform declared that the sufferings of the peasants of the Hacienda Luisita are over, since they have already distributed copies of the Certificates of Land Ownership Award. But what is happening right now? The Cojuancos have ordered the bulldozing of our rice fields, hundreds of peasants are mercilessly evicted from their lands. Is this the land reform program they are so proud of?”], said Christopher Garcia, spokesperson of Hacienda Luisita farm workers alliance AMBALA.

The CLOA certificate copies only serve as amortization notices, which run counter to farmers’ demands for free land distribution in Hacienda Luisita.

Since 12 December, hirelings of the Cojuangco-owned Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO) have ruthlessly cleared more than 30 hectares of ricelands and other foodcrop plantations by farmers in Barangay (village) Balete. TADECO and DAR both claim that some hundreds of hectares of agricultural lands in Tarlac City villages are not covered by the historic 2012 Supreme Court ruling to distribute Hacienda Luisita to farm worker beneficiaries (FWBs).

“This is a total lie,” said Garcia. The DAR’s own records attest that agricultural lands under TADECO’s name were already up for distribution to land reform beneficiaries through a notice of coverage (NOC) the DAR issued in 2 January 2006. This notice is based on the resolution of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) under former Pres. Arroyo to revoke the Stock Distribution Option land reform scheme and finally distribute Hacienda Luisita to farmworkers. This same PARC resolution was halted through a temporary restraining order filed by the Cojuangcos before the Supreme Court. This eventually led to the historic SC ruling in 2011 and 2012, in favor of farmworkers.

TADECO’s aggressive claims on vast agricultural lands coincided with the DAR’s land distribution activities in Hacienda Luisita starting last July. While the DAR enforced land allocation to thousands of farmworkers beneficiaries through anomalous lottery raffles in all barangays,  TADECO conspicuously set up outposts and armed security guards around choice agricultural lots in Barangays Balete and Cutcut. Hundreds of farmers were sent eviction letters by TADECO and are now facing unlawful detainer charges before local courts. Meanwhile, more than half of farmworker beneficiaries in Tarlac City are to face grave inconveniences and dislocation due to the distant location of the 0.66 hectare farmlots allocated to them by the DAR.

“During a dialogue in October, DAR officials promised us that they would release a report on TADECO by December. The DAR led by BS Aquino’s alter-ego, Sec. delos Reyes, should halt its charade of so-called research and verification of the agricultural nature of these contested lands because the naked eye can see that aside from sugarcane, these lands are obviously planted to palay, fruit trees and vegetables. The DAR’s promise to send out a new notice of coverage only aims to cover up its criminal collusion with the Cojuangco-Aquino family to subvert and sabotage the SC’s historic ruling on Hacienda Luisita,” said Ranmil Echanis, deputy secretary general of  Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA, Agricultural Workers Union).

“President Aquino is only quick to respond when it comes to interests of big business and the landlord class. He can be so hands-on and personally inspect police operations in places like Serendra or SM North Edsa for the Henry Sy and Ayala types. In Hacienda Luisita, he can only tolerate the heavy deployment of police and military personnel in full battle gear and army tanks to assist his relatives’ renewed land grabbing efforts. Hacienda Luisita farmers are now real beneficiaries, not of land reform but of state terror and ruthless impunity under this landlord president,” said Echanis.

A 40-page fact-finding report released by UMA last November further recommends a stop to all development projects in Hacienda Luisita pending the resolution of continued agrarian disputes between the Cojuangcos and farmers. “Hundreds of farmers are now being driven away from their farmlands to give way to “soon-to rise” projects, but all 10 barangays of Hacienda Luisita could be totally wiped out in favor of malls and parking lots if the Cojuangcos had their way.”

Source Verification:
Christopher Garcia
Spokesperson – AMBALA
CP # 09293200615

Court acquits soldier charged in murder of local labor leader

ICHRP Secretariat
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Court acquits soldier charged in murder of local labor leader

President BS Aquino kin continues rights violation rampage in Hacienda Luisita

“Ruthless impunity and agrarian unrest hang over Hacienda Luisita. It’s like President Aquino is setting the stage for more bloodshed,” said Florida “Pong” Sibayan, acting chairperson of the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers alliance AMBALA.

The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA, Agricultural Workers Union) said that the acquittal of Pfc. Roderick U. Dela Cruz, main suspect in the killing of Ricardo Ramos, leaves a chilling effect amid continued and grave rights violations in Hacienda Luisita.

Ricardo Ramos was the chairman of Barangay (village) Mapalacsiao and president of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU). He was killed in the night of 25 October 2005 after distributing back wages and benefits of sugar mill workers retrieved through the union’s efforts. Ramos was also a vocal critic of the unwarranted presence and operations of the military elements in the hacienda during the Luisita strike. After the strike, the Armed Forces of the Philippines established detachments in all Luisita barangays, except for Mapalacsiao and Balete where residents led by their village chairmen actively opposed the army’s proposals.

In two separate occasions, Ramos also led his constituents in barricades to stop the construction of the SCTEx (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway), a pet project of then Congressman Noynoy Aquino. Aquino’s bodyguards were involved in a shooting incident which resulted in the wounding of Ramos’ uncle. Contractors allegedly tried but failed to bribe Ramos the amount of P1.2 million (US$27.2 million) just so he would allow the project to continue.

Police investigators and eyewitnesses named two Army men as prime suspects in the killing of Ramos — Roderick “Joshua” dela Cruz and Romeo Castillo, Jr. The acquittal of Private de la Cruz comes at a time when the Cojuangco firm Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO) has ordered the ruthless clearing of farmers’ crops and homes in around 400 hectares of agricultural lands in Barangays Balete and Cutcut.

Tadeco’s hirelings bulldozed about 10 hectares of farm lands in barangay Balete, cultivated by farmers since 2005, amidst heavy deployment of military forces belonging to the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion (3rd Mech), the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), and provincial police personnel. These state forces virtually act as Cojuangco private armies and have set up permanent camp and detachments within the barangay and around the contested areas to support renewed land grabbing efforts by President Aquino’s family.

Furthermore, TADECO has filed charges of unlawful detainer against more than 100 farmers in barangays Balete and Cutcut to intimidate them to leave their farm lots. Since the anomalous land distribution activities of the Department of Agrarian Reform in July, the Cojuangcos have cordoned off farm lands and violently dispersed farmers who tried to repair farm huts destroyed by typhoon Santi. TADECO security guards are also suspect in the mysterious death of AMBALA member Dennis de la Cruz last 1 November.

“The acquittal of  ‘Kap’ Ric Ramos’ killer comes as no surprise, when one of the main perpetrators of the 2004 Hacienda Luisita Massacre now sits as the most powerful person in the country,” said Sibayan.

Reference:
Florida “Pong” Sibayan
Acting- Chairperson, AMBALA
Cell Phone # +639293201477

Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura
(Agricultural Workers Union)
Follow UMA Pilipinas on Twitter

Philippine lawyers group receives “Human Rights Defender of the Year” Award

ICHRP Secretariat
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Philippine lawyers group receives “Human Rights Defender of the Year” Award

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers is deeply humbled by the honor of being the first “Human Rights Defender of the Year” given by the Belgian campaign alliance Stop the Killings.

How timely is it to receive this award on 10 December 2013, the 65th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights, a day we marked in the Philippines with crucial protests across the country.

The sorry state of human rights and the continuing impunity in the country was a focal point at the recently-concluded NUPL Third National Congress, where human rights lawyers were nonetheless reinvigorated by the theme to “Consolidate our Ranks to Defend, Protect and Advance the People’s Rights: Resist the State’s Various Schemes to Violate Human Rights.”

We honestly did not imagine that doing what we think was a matter of course – serving the people through the use of our legal skills, training, education and experience – in the defense, protection and promotion of human rights in all aspects – would warrant such touching honor internationally.

We express our sincerest gratitude not only to those who voted for us and the jury of trade unionists, journalists and representatives of non-government organizations but also to all those individuals and organizations that have consistently believed and supported us in our common goal to stop the killings and the impunity.

This award is a challenge for us to carry on and persevere more to stand by the rights of the Filipino people and all struggling peoples of the world.

On behalf of each of the 536 members made up of 325 lawyers, 128 law students and 63 paralegals in 21 chapters, 4 regional consultative bodies and 6 ad hoc bodies all over the Philippines – and most especially for and in the name of our clients – the poor, oppressed and persecuted in Philippine society – we wholeheartedly accept this humbling recognition from the Stop the Killings Human Rights Awards.

Reference:

Atty. Edre U. Olalia
NUPL Secretary-General
+639175113373

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stop-the-killingsStop the Killings is a campaign alliance based in Belgium composed of workers’ groups, cause-oriented groups, and other non-government organizations (NGOs). Their website is www.stopthekillings.be.

The awarding ceremony was held at De Markten, Brussels, Belgium on December 10, 2013, 7pm GMT+1. Dr. Angie Gonzales of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, and Joke Dereymaeker of the Progress Lawyers Network of Belgium, a guest speaker at the NUPL Third National Congress in Bacolod City, received the award in behalf of NUPL.

Other nominees for the award were Yolanda Oquelí (a human rights activist in Guatemala), the mass movement for peace in Colombia, and Ello Mobile from Belgium. There were two rounds of voting: 450 people registered their choice in a public vote, then a jury of trade unionists, journalists and representatives of NGOs made the final decision.

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National Secretariat
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
3F Erythrina Building
Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Quezon City, Philippines
Telefax no.920-6660
Email addresses: nupl2007@gmail.com and nuplphilippines@yahoo.com
Follow us on twitter @nuplphilippines
and facebook @https://www.facebook.com/nuplphilippines
Visit the NUPL website at http://www.nupl.net/

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