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End Impunity Alliance condemns killing of Italian priest in North Cotabato

ICHRP Secretariat
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PRESS RELEASE – The human rights network End Impunity Alliance today condemned the most recent killing of Italian priest Fr. Fausto Tentorio, PIME, parish priest of Arakan Valley in North Cotabato and a known advocate of the rights of lumads and farmers in the province.

According to initial news reports, Fr. Tentorio, who had been serving Mindanao since 1978  and was head of the Tribal Filipinos Apostolate of the Diocese of Kidapawan, was gunned down at around 8:30 Monday morning just as he was preparing to leave his convent in Arakan Valley, North Cotabato, for the 9 a.m.  clergy meeting in Kidapawan City.

“We extend our deepest condolences for the love ones of Fr. Tentorio and for all the people whose lives were touched by him. We condemn in highest terms the recent killing of a beloved, committed and pro-poor priest who has served our poor kababayans in Mindanao, despite several threats to his life. His public position against big corporate mining in the province and his advocacy for the rights of farmers and indigenous peoples is a testament to his selflessness,” Cristina Palabay, End Impunity Alliance convenor, said.

Fr. Tentorio was a compatriot of Fr. Tulio Favali, who was murderd in 1985 in Tulunan town by the vigilante group Ilaga, led by Norberto Manero. Fr. Tentorio experienced a near-death experience on October 6, 2003 during one of his visits to the Lumads of Kitaotao, Bukidnon, portions of which are part of the parish of Arakan, where he had organized the tribal organization called the Tinananon-Kulamanon Lumadnong Panaghiusa or TIKULPA.

Fr. Tentorio’s killing came after the declaration of Major General Jorge Segovia, 10th Infantry Division commander, that Southern Mindanao is the new epicenter of the New People’s Army.

“Justice should be immediately rendered for Fr. Tentorio and all victims of summary executions. Such climate of impunity exists to this day, thus victimizing anti-mining advocates such as Fr. Tentorio because of the non-prosecution of those accountable for the previous cases of human rights violations and the existing counter-insurgency plan Oplan Bayamihan of the Aquino administration,” Palabay said. #

References: Cristina Palabay, Convenor, End Impunity Alliance (0917-5003879)
Angge Santos, Media Liaison, End Impunity Alliance (0915-2117610)

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Italian priest shot dead in North Cotabato

Italian priest shot dead in North Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—A still unidentified man shot dead Italian priest Fausto Tentorio in Arakan town in North Cotabato on Monday morning, a local official said.

Arakan Councilor Leonardo Reovoca said Fr. Tentorio, parish priest of Arakan town, was about to open his vehicle when a man shot him shortly before 8 a.m.

Tentorio was to attend a clergy meeting in Kidapawan City when he was shot by the helmet-wearing man.

The priest was immediately brought to the Antipas Medical Specialist but was declared dead.

Reovoca said some parish workers rushed out when they heard a series of shots and noticed the gunman walking to a waiting motorcycle.

“I cannot imagine it would happen to him. We don’t have an idea as to the motive of the killing,” Reovoca said.#

SELDA hits criminalization of political offenses, calls for release of all political prisoners

ICHRP Secretariat
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SELDA hits criminalization of political offenses, calls for release of all political prisoners

PRESS RELEASE – The Samahan ng mga Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) today said that the statement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines denying the existence of political prisoners and branding them as “criminals” shows the “total disregard for human rights and violation of the military and the GPH of the standing agreements and jurisprudence prohibiting the criminalization of political offenses.”

Angie Ipong, SELDA secretary general, said that the AFP is actually admitting that it has violated Part III Article 6 of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) signed by both the government and the National Democratic Front where the GPH should “abide by its doctrine laid down in People vs. Hernandez (99 Phil. 515, July 18, 1956), as further elaborated in People vs. Geronimo (100 Phil. 90, October 13, 1956), and shall forthwith review the cases of all prisoners or detainees who have been charged, detained, or convicted contrary to this doctrine, and shall immediately release them.”

The Hernandez doctrine is an established court ruling that political offenders or those suspected of political crimes should not be charged, detained nor convicted of common crimes.

Reports from Karapatan show that out of 360 political prisoners as of August 2011, at least 303 (84.17 %) of them have been charged with common crimes alone. Only 15 of them (4.17 %) have been charged with rebellion. Twenty others have been charged with common crimes in addition to rebellion, two were charged with “terrorism” while there is no sufficient available data for the rest of the twenty.

“I myself am a victim of this violation under the Arroyo government, when I was abducted, tortured, detained and accused of being a top CPP-NPA leader while being charged with criminal cases such as double murder, double attempted murder and arson. These trumped up and fabricated charges were made to keep me behind bars for six years until the charges were dropped by the courts because of lack of evidence and credible witnesses by the AFP,” Ipong explained.

Branding political prisoners as criminals and heaping upon them common crime charges conveniently hide  the political nature of their acts; allow the government to shamelessly declare them as common criminals not motivated by a higher goal, thereby violating these prisoners’ rights even more, Ipong stated.

SELDA also welcomed House resolution 1810 filed yesterday by partylist lawmakers led by Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares urging the House Committee on Human Rights and the Committee on Justice to investigate the continuous and rampant filing of false and trumped up criminal charges against persons who are politically critical of the government.

What the government is doing in criminalizing political actions is no different from what the US colonial powers did a century ago to patriotic Filipinos fighting for independence.  The American colonizers branded as “bandits, brigands and robbers” such nationalists as Macario Sakay and his men who were resisting imperial domination. “We hope that this government learn from history and stop the practice of discrediting patriots as ordinary criminals,” Ipong concluded.###

Reference: Angie Ipong, Secretary General, SELDA (0949-9587373)

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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

SELDA to Pnoy: Pass the Marcos victims’ compensation bill now

ICHRP Secretariat
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SELDA to Pnoy: Pass the Marcos victims’ compensation bill now

PRESS RELEASE- Reacting to the President’s statement on the issue of former dictator Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, SELDA Chairperson Marie Hilao Enriquez says, “It’s about time that the President has given his position on the issue.  His pronouncements, though belated, sounds pretty good for victims of martial law like us, but he should not have wasted the Vice President’s time nor even waited for us to raise our fists and voices again in the first place just to let him know that victims have not even been served justice to this day!  He, of all people, must know this and as President, who must lead the nation, should have shown the correct position in the first place!”

The Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA), an organization of former political prisoners established during Martial Law, also asserts that the President’s pronouncements must now be matched by concrete deeds as SELDA renewed the appeal for the immediate passage of the Marcos Victims Compensation Bill in the wake of Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s acknowledgement that justice has not been rendered to the victims of Martial Law.

“It has been twenty five years since the dictator Marcos was ousted by people power and nineteen years after the landmark decision by the US Court granting the long-sought justice for the 9,539 victims of martial law and an award for reparation. But the Philippine government has yet to reciprocate the said decision rendering justice for the martial law victims by passing a law will give justice and indemnification for the victims,” said Marie Hilao Enriquez, chairperson of SELDA, and daughter of one of the original plaintiffs in the class suit filed against the Marcoses.

A class action suit for 10,000 victims was initiated and filed by SELDA before the US Federal District Court System on April 7, 1986. The court ruled against the Marcos family on Sept. 22, 1992, finding the dictator guilty of crimes against humanity. The court ordered the Marcos family to pay an exemplary damages of US 1.9 billion and later, compensatory damages of US$776 million to the victims.

Enriquez urged Aquino and both houses of Congress to accelerate the passage of the pending measures, as SELDA also expressed support for the Substitute Bill in the House of Representatives, while they have raised serious questions and objections with regards the Substitute Bill in the Senate.

“The process of seeking justice and reparation is so tedious and extremely difficult for the victims of martial rule. The victims are now very old, sickly and dying, but the struggle for justice has no rest. Putting closure to a dark portion of the nation’s history must include rendering justice to victims of that era,” she concluded.#

Reference: Marie Hilao Enriquez, Chairperson, SELDA (0917-5616800)

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.

New Zealanders call for release of political prisoners

ICHRP Secretariat
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New Zealanders call for release of political prisoners

This is in reference to the article titled “Most of us were arrested without warrant” (Inquirer, 10/9/11), which appeared on the Talk of the Town page.

New Zealand map

We, peace and human rights advocates from New Zealand, support the urgent plea for President Aquino to grant all political prisoners a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty. Denying persons who are fighting government corruption and advocating change their freedom is a mockery of democracy.

We find it alarming that to the thousands of unresolved cases of human rights violations under the Arroyo presidency have been added, during the little-over-a-year-old Aquino administration, another 48 cases of extrajudicial killings and five enforced disappearances, while 336 political prisoners remain in detention. Equally alarming is the fact that many peasant and trade union activists, social justice and human rights advocates, including church workers and at least one labor rights lawyer, are again being threatened with arrest on trumped-up charges that had been filed at the time of Arroyo, and now being revived under Mr. Aquino’s watch.

We are also aware that persons who played significant roles in the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front are among the hundreds of victims of enforced disappearances and illegal detentions.

We are hopeful that a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty to all political prisoners will be granted through a presidential proclamation.

With his vow to pursue the “righteous path” in mind, we plead with President Aquino to grant freedom to political prisoners who, like his father, have endured so much suffering in detention. And let such act be his great tribute to his parents who fought hard for democracy. Let us never again tolerate torture, political imprisonment and the horrors of martial law.

—MURRAY HORTON,
Secretary, Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA)
cafca@chch.planet.org.nz, phsolidarity@gmail.com

DAPHNA WHITMORE,
Convenor, Auckland
Philippines Solidarity (APS)
phsolidarity@gmail.com

ROD PROSSER, convenor,
Wellington Kiwi Pinoy (WKP)
communitymedia@paradise.net.nz

Rights lawyers dispute Malacañang: Political Prisoners exist in the Philippines

ICHRP Secretariat
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Press Release

“Three hundred sixty political prisoners still languish in Philippine jails contrary to Malacañang’s denial,” asserted   NUPL Secretary General Atty. Edre Olalia.

“It might be shocking for Malacanang to find out that there are still political prisoners, several of whom are  our clients,” Olalia sarcastically commented on behalf of the group of lawyers that handles several political prisoners, victims of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture and arbitrary arrests as well as peasant, worker and urban poor cases.

Olalia made the assertion in reaction to the recent statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, who reportedly boldly claimed there were no more political prisoners in the Philippines.

The NUPL, established in September 2007 amid rising cases of extrajudicial killings and forcible abductions attributed to state forces, has over 400 members nationwide comprising lawyers, law students and paralegals . It has  discovered and known all along that the alleged acts of the prisoners they  are representing or helping are, even if hypothetically admitted, actually political in nature.

Olalia noted that only a minority of political detainees were charged with rebellion. At least 85 % of suspected political offenders are improperly charged with non-bailable ordinary crimes and not with rebellion. They were accused of committing murder, arson, illegal possession of firearms or explosives, physical injuries and other common crimes. “We have assessed that most of these are actually false or fabricated charges that further persecute these detainees, degrade their stature, mock the basic rules of evidence and is a travesty of justice. These, on top of the multifarious violations of their rights including torture and harassment.”

Recently,  NUPL lawyers had an audience with Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III where they pointed out two dirty tricks that gave notoriety to the past Arroyo administration: Firstly, charging political prisoners with common crimes and, secondly, the improvident use of “John/Jane Does” in criminal informations filed in court. This odious practice continues until today.

Political activists are the usual victims of the improvident use of John/Jane Does. Whenever an information involving “John/Jane Does” is hastily filed in court, spurious witnesses belatedly spring up to identify activists and members of  political  organizations supposedly as the unknown suspects, by fabricating affidavits naming certain persons to be the John/Jane Does in the charge sheet.

“After the political activists are identified in bad faith as the John/Jane Does,  arrest warrants are issued and they are arrested without any preliminary investigation in violation of their right to due process,” Olalia added.

The NUPL, which just marked its 4th year anniversary last month, has joined growing calls  for a “ general, omnibus and unconditional amnesty for all political prisoners” as a matter of justice long overdue.

Aside from their meeting with the justice secretary, the NUPL visited the Batangas Provincial Jail to talk with seven political prisoners and coordinated with the local chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP-Batangas) to extend to them legal assistance in close collaboration with the NUPL. One of the political prisoners visited by the NUPL in Batangas was Maricon Montajes, a mass communication student of the University of the Philippines . She was charged with Illegal Possession of Explosives, Violation of the Fire Arm Ban under the Omnibus Election Code, and Illegal Possession of Fire Arms and Ammunition.

While some political detainees have already been freed, Secretary De Lima noted that the Justice Department is working to have more of them released in the near future through the Presidential Committee on Bail, Release, and Pardon (PCBREP). Secretary De Lima agreed with the legal position of NUPL and recognized its concerns,  telling them that a directive will be issued to the National Prosecution Service (NPS) to form a committee that will study these issues  and draft a department circular to address this problem. It was thus totally puzzling to the NUPL delegation that, unlike the military and Malacanang, the DOJ tacitly recognizes that there are political prisoners.

The existence of political prisoners in several parts of the country is an obvious matter of fact that Malacanang will be hard put to deny with a straight face like the dictator Marcos. #

Reference: Atty. Edre U. Olalia, NUPL Secretary General (09175113373)

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