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Arrests and abductions precede Aquino’s 4th State of the Nation Address — Karapatan

ICHRP Secretariat
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Arrests and abductions precede Aquino’s 4th State of the Nation Address — Karapatan

News Release, 18 July 2013 – Karapatan, through its chairperson Marie-Hilao Enriquez, raised alarm on the spate of arrests involving a former political prisoner and a farmer and the abduction and disappearance of another farmer and a tricycle driver in less than a week. “Will Pres. Aquino brag about these rights violations in his 4th State of the Nation Address?” Enriquez, also chairperson of SELDA (Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto), said.

Aristedes Sarmiento, a former political detainee who was among the “Tagaytay 5”, was rearrested on July 16 in the house of barangay captain Julianita Abuel Lagaya at 51 Mabini St., Bgy. 7, Lucban, Quezon in a joint operation by elements of the Lucban Municipal Police Station, Regional Intelligence Police Regional Office-CALABARZON, Military Intelligence Group (MIG4), Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP), 1st Special Forces Company, 201st Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Naval Intelligence Security Group (NISG 4) led by Police Chief Inspector Juan Byron Reyes Leogo, Officer-In-Charge.

Sarmiento was arrested for murder through a warrant of arrest signed by Judge Napoleon E. Matienzo of the Regional Trial Court Branch 62 in Gumaca, Quezon, with no bail recommended. Named in the warrant are Felicardo Salamat, Arnold Albarillo, Cecilia Mondia with a certain Ruben Estocado who was primarily charged.

From Lucban, Sarmiento was forcibly brought to Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba, Laguna through a convoy of military vehicles. Barangay captain Lagaya tailed the convoy up to Camp Vicente Lim but was not allowed to enter the camp. The military told Lagaya, Sarmiento’s family and his legal counsel that Sarmiento was not in the camp. Sarmiento was only shown to his family midnight of July 16 and only after the family members asked the camp to issue a certification that Sarmiento is not in their custody.

On July 17, Sarmiento was brought to the Gumaca court and was committed to the BJMP Quezon district Jail, Lucena City. He was again transferred today at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.

In Bataan, two farmers and a tricycle driver were abducted by elements of the 703rd IB-Philippine Army on July 11 in Bgy. Liyang, Pilar. Josue Ortiz, 23, was brought to the 24th IB-PA headquarters where he was initially kept from his parents and members of the Karapatan quick-reaction team (QRT). After four days in detention, Ortiz was brought to the Bataan provincial court on July 15, and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. As the judge is set to hear all cases for commitment order today, July 18, Ortiz was temporarily committed at the Balanga City Jail. Farmer Manuel Pacaira and the tricycle driver remain missing as of this date.

During the search, members of the QRT saw Pacaira in an army truck on its way out of the 24th IBPA camp and to the direction of Pilar, Bataan. He was again seen at the Bataan provincial court premises in Balanga, Bataan on board an truck during Ortiz’s inquest on Monday, July 15.

The 24th IBPA has been involved in the abduction and disappearance of two missing UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno and the arrest, detention and torture of Raymond Manalo, a witness in the Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno case. The 24th IB has been designated in 2011 as a “territorial battalion” that integrates Army Reservists into the unit as “holding forces” in areas considered by the government as communist stronghold.

Earlier, on June 28, Juan Pablo Versoza, a member of the Alay Sining UP Diliman, and his wife Grace were illegally arrested in Marikina City through a defective warrant, with only aliases listed on the warrant. The names of the couple were only inserted in the warrant when they were arrested.

“This government practice of using alias warrants, illegal arrests through fabricated charges to justify its action against ordinary folks shows its desperation. This may be the start of the AFP’s another round escalation of its terror attacks against the people after it has admitted that Oplan Bayanihan is a failure. The human rights violations committed by Noynoy Aquino and his AFP is definitely an act of desperation, indeed a sign of failure and it’s turning its gun against the ordinary people, ” said Hilao-Enriquez. ###
Reference: Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Karapatan chairperson, 0917-5616800
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The 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.

SELDA National Office: 2/F, Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets,
Brgy. Central District, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
Tel: 632-4342837 Fax: 632-4354146
Email: selda.phils@gmail.com, selda_phil@yahoo.com.ph
Web: www.seldapilipinas.wordpress.com

International human rights, peace conference opens in Quezon City

ICHRP Secretariat
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International human rights, peace conference opens in Quezon City

ICHRPP logo

Delegates to join People’s SONA rally on Monday

News Release, 18 July 2013 –  More than 250 peace advocates and human rights defenders from 25 countries gather tomorrow as the International Conference for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (ICHRPP) opens at 9 a.m. at the Great Eastern Hotel, Quezon City. The foreign delegates are also attending the People’s State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22 to cap the three-day conference and the week-long International Solidarity Mission in the different communities where there are documented human rights abuses.

Rep. Teddy Casiño, Spokesperson of the ICHRPP contested  the Quezon City officials’ decision to deny the protesters permit to rally, calling it “throwback Monday” and reminded the Aquino government that the “Marcos dictatorship was toppled by defying such repressive tactics.”

The continuing use of repressive tactics by the Aquino government, through Oplan Bayanihan, have caused alarm among peace advocates and human rights defenders in the international community. Oplan Bayanihan’s implementation already resulted to 142 victims of extrajudicial killings and 164 victims of frustrated extrajudicial killings. The ICHRPP is set to tackle the human rights record of the Aquino government and strengthen national and international human rights solidarity campaigns on the Philippines.

Rep. Teddy Casiño is slated to welcome the foreign and local delegates to kick-off the three day conference. Among the keynote speakers are Jeanne Mirer, Esq, President of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, a UN accredited organization; Dr. Edith Burgos, mother of desaparecido Jonas Burgos; and Prof. Jose Maria Sison, chairperson of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS).

Meanwhile, the week-long International Solidarity Mission that preceded the ICHRPP wraps up today as delegates gather to collate data on human rights violations they gathered from the different communities in the country.

“This is unacceptable in a country that claims to be democratic and is bound by the rule of law,” Rev. Stuart Lyster, a delegate from Vancouver, Canada, said when the team visited the political prisoners at Camp Bagong Diwa (CBD), Bicutan, Taguig City. The ISM-Metro Manila team were upset to learn that people who serve poor communities are easily thrown in jail through fabricated charges. The delegates also lamented the fact that people languish in jail, “under very poor condition”, also because of  lengthy court processes.

The ISM-Metro Manila met with the peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Allan Jazmines, Tirso Alcantara, Emeterio Antalan and Leopoldo Caloza, who are in Camp Bagong Diwa despite being holders of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed by the government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the NDFP.

“We stand in solidarity with the political prisoners and those who will be displaced because of demolition. Solidarity means  that the whole world will stand as witness as to how the powers and the principality in the Philippines will act on these issues,” Rev. Lyster said.

References:
Rep. Teddy Casiño,
spokesperson for the International Conference for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines,
+63920-9035683

Cristina Guevarra,
media liaison,
+63917-5230396 / +63949-1772928

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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
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.

Ozamiz gang incident shows “salvaging” still a practice among cops, soldiers

ICHRP Secretariat
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Ozamiz gang incident shows “salvaging” still a practice among cops, soldiers

News Release, 18 July 2013 –  The killing of two suspected members of the Ozamiz gang by their police escorts shows Philippine state security forces have not changed their martial law ways, the spokesperson of the International Conference for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (ICHRPP) said today.

“The incident has tell tale signs of a rubout,” said Rep. Teddy Casiño, spokesperson for the three-day ICHRPP which is set to open tomorrow, July 19.

Casiño likened the brazenness of the killing of the gang members to how the many other cases of human rights violations were committed. “It shows how impunity in violating human rights still persist among police, military and paramilitary groups. They think they can get away with murder because hardly anyone is punished for extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.”

Casiño pointed out, as an example, the promotion of a number of Gloria Arroyo’s generals and military and police officials who were given plum positions in the Aquino administration despite their involvement in a string of human rights violations and charges filed against them.

Casiño noted the “zero conviction of perpetrators of human rights violations despite Pres. Aquino’s promise to punish perpetrators emboldens state security forces to commit more rights violations.”

The continuing culture of impunity, Casiño said is among the concerns of the international community and one of the reasons for the ICHRPP.  “The conference will look into the continuing practices of state security forces in systematically violating the rights not only of suspected criminals but also of activists and political dissenters.”

Casiño is set to welcome the more than 250 delegates from 25 countries in tomorrow’s opening of the ICHRPP at the Great Eastern Hotel, Quezon City.###

Reference:
Rep. Teddy Casiño, spokesperson for the International Conference for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines
Mobile: +63920-9035683
Cristina Guevarra, media liaison, 0917-5230396 / 0949-1772928

———————————————————————
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
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.

International solidarity mission investigates rights violations in the Philippines

ICHRP Secretariat
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International solidarity mission investigates rights violations in the Philippines

International delegates to join People’s SONA

“The world is watching. This is a test for the Philippine republic on how to deal with the poor and marginalized and their needs. We are here to show our solidarity and to let you know that you are not alone,” was Rev. Stuart Lyster’s message to the representatives of the remaining 5,500 urban poor residents at the North Triangle who are in constant struggle against government-led enforced eviction and demolition of their shanties.

Rev. Lyster was among the 12 delegates from the US, Canada and Hongkong who joined the International Solidarity Mission (ISM) of peace advocates and human rights defenders  in the National Capital Region (NCR). Other ISM participants from 14 countries are now in a four-day mission in provinces and communities where there are documented human rights violations. Redemptorist priests from the Philippines were also in the NCR mission.

The ISM delegates were welcomed by the residents of North Triangle in a “festive salubong”  and a “boodle-fight” dinner of dried fish, adobong kangkong, okra and fried galunggong served on banana leaves.

The team in the National Capital Region will visit other areas up for demolition: in the esteros that will displace 20,000 families; the Manila Bay Reclamation project affecting 26,000 families; and in areas covered by the construction of Metro Manila Rail Transit (MRT-7) which will displace 40,000 families. The team is also set to visit political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa, including NDFP peace consultants Alan Jazmines, Tirso “Ka Bart” Alcantara, Emeterio Antalan and Leopoldo Caloza.

Rev. Lyster mentioned that forced eviction are likewise happening in Canada and in Hongkong because of privatization of lands. There are 12,000 residents in the North Triangle Area who were forcibly evicted for  the Vertis North; where 45 condominium towers are planned for construction. The project is jointly implemented by the National Housing Authority and the Quezon City local government unit for the Ayala Land Corporation.

Meanwhile, 33 Filipino Americans and Latin Americans are already in Typhoon-Pablo affected areas in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental to look into human rights conditions in these villages and the impact of large-scale mining. The ISM participants will also probe the reported negligence, corruption and discrimination in the distribution of relief goods and in providing assistance for rehabilitation.

Other ISM areas are in Tinoc, Ifugao where elements of the 86th IBPA were reported to have perpetrated rights violations such as illegal detention, torture, destruction and divestment of property, destruction of agricultural crops; Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon Province where there is heavy deployment of military troops unparalleled even during the time of martial law; Tampakan, South Cotabato, where pregnant Juvy Capion and her sons were massacred and Kitari Capion was killed; Caraga Region where farmers and indigenous peoples are affected by US-owned Dole banana plantation and transnational mining corporations; and Aurora Province, Hacienda Luisita and Angeles City specifically in areas affected by the APECO.

The mission is a pre-conference activity of the International Conference for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines on July 19-21, 2013 where more than 200 international delegates from 25 countries are attending. International delegates are also attending the People’s SONA on July 22 to raise their concern on the continuing human rights violations under the Aquino government. ###

Family of Dutch EJK victim assails Aquino govt rights record; impunity proof of failure of HR

ICHRP Secretariat
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Family of Dutch EJK victim assails Aquino govt rights record; impunity proof of failure of HR

The family of Dutch missionary Willem Geertman who was a victim of extrajudicial killing last year in Angeles City, made strong exception to the statement of European Union (EU) ambassador Guy Ledoux last week lauding the Aquino government’s human rights record.
WILLEM GEERTMAN JUSTICE
Herman Geertman, brother of Willem and spokesperson of the Geertman family, said the EU ambassador’s praise of the human rights record of the Aquino government is like rubbing salt to the wound and pain they are suffering with the unresolved killing of his brother.

“We are in the Philippines right now and participating in an international mission to continue to seek justice for my murdered brother. The EU ambassador’s statements inflict pain and further suffering to us and to the families of the other victims of political killings,” Herman stressed.

The fact that impunity continues in the Philippines, Herman said, is proof that EU aid has been a waste of European taxpayers’ money. Herman was referring to 10 million Euro aid that the EU recently committed to the Philippine government to supposedly improve the human rights situation.

In May 2010, Aquino, then presumptive presidential-elect, promised the 13 diplomats from EU member states to solve extrajudicial killings and capturing and jailing the perpetrators.

July 2010 to April 2013, Karapatan documented 142 victims of extrajudicial killings and 164 cases of frustrated extrajudicial killings. This number includes Dutch missionary Willem Geertman, and Italian Catholic priest Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME, whose killings remain unsolved and perpetrators unprosecuted.

Herman and his wife, together with several Dutch human rights advocates, researchers, filmmakers, journalists, Danish trade unionists, and local church lay leaders, are among the participants of the International Solidarity Mission that is conducting visits to three central Luzon provinces, including Aurora province where murdered Dutch missionary Geertman lived for several years as an advocate for peasant and indigenous peoples rights.

The international mission preceeds the International Conference on Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (ICHRPP) to be held July 19-21 in Quezon City, and is expected to be participated in by more than 200 human rights and peace advocates from 23 countries around the world.###

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