Home Blog Page 97

Resist the escalating fascism of the Duterte government

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
Resist the escalating fascism of the Duterte government

photo_2017-12-06_16-23-27photo_2017-12-06_16-23-31

 

Resist the escalating fascism of the Duterte government
Justice for Fr. Tito Paez and all victims of human rights violations!
Stand for peace, Stop the Killings
6 December 2017 – Hong Kong SAR

 

The Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Hong Kong/ Macau) and Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR-Hong Kong) condemn in the strongest terms the escalating killings in the Philippines. For the past three days alone, extrajudicial killings have claimed the lives of church leaders Fr. Marcelito “Tito” Paez and Pastor Leovelito Quiniones, and eight Lumad in South Cotabato defending their ancestral land from a Philippine oligarch.

On December 4 at around 8:00 pm, Rev. Fr. Paez was shot while driving his vehicle at San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija. On that same day, Fr. Tito has just assisted in facilitating the release of political prisoner Rommel Tucay who was detained at the BJMP jail in Cabanatuan. During his stint as a parish priest of Guimba, Fr. Tito was active in advancing the human rights of people of Nueva Ecija and actively opposed foreign intervention and the presence of US military troops in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Pastor Lovelito Quiñones of the Kings Glory Ministry in, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro was shot by soldiers at around 8-8:30pm on December 3. Pastor Quinones was on his motorcycle, on his way home after facilitating food distribution and distributing the monthly supports for the 4Ps – government funded initiative to help the poorest of the poor in alleviating abject poverty – beneficiaries. The AFP, in their press statements, said that Pastor Lovelito was an NPA, an accusation belied by his family and the church. His family also recounted that the RMG (Regional Mobile Group) planted a .45 caliber pistol to make it appear that the pastor was indeed a member of NPA. Pastor Quiñones was tested negative during the paraffin test.

In South Cotabato in Mindanao, eight Lumad from the T’boli and Dulangan Manobo tribes were massacred by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The said Lumad were part of the 140 families who have reoccupied their ancestral lands grabbed from them by the Consunji Farms for their coffee plantation and logging business.

The spate of killings, disregard for lives and rights, and the state of impunity show the heightening fascism of the Duterte government that is fast catching up with human rights violations against activists and ordinary civilians committed by previous administrations in the name of various counterinsurgency plans.

After Duterte’s declaration of all-out war against critics of his government’s anti-people, pro-oligarchs and pro-imperialist policies, political harassments, military operations and forced evacuations have intensified especially among peasants and indigenous peoples.

It seems the worst of Duterte’s fascism and tyranny has yet to come and the struggling Filipinos have to be ready for even more intensifying attacks to their lives and livelihood. Under Pres. Duterte’s command, the military and the police are in killing spree and make no distinction between armed and unarmed, combatant and non-combatant. Guns are pointed against human rights, justice and peace advocates, members of progressive groups and church people standing in solidarity with people in their struggle for land, jobs, justice and human rights.

Aside from abandoning the peace negotations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Duterte has also declared the CPP and NPA as terrorist organizations. This further diminished the hopes of going back to the negotiating table while also making progressive organizations and individuals vulnerable to prosecution and extrajudicial actions given the propensity of the government’s armed machinery to tag anyone opposing as members of the CPP or NPA.

Ultimately, Duterte’s government primary motive is to sow fear and terror in order to amass huge control of political and economic power that will pave the way for his anti-people and neoliberal agenda. Even the most archaic laws are resurrected to justify arrests such as that of transport group leader George San Mateo whose group PISTON has led actions to thwart the moves that will deprive jeepney drivers of livelihood for the benefit of oligarchs and foreign companies.

The Duterte government must be held accountable for these barbaric and dastardly acts against Fr. Paez, Pastor Quiñones and all victims of extra-judicial killings and human rights violations.

The Duterte government must realize that there is no amount of militarization, killings and filing of trumped up charges can stop the poor, the deprived and the oppressed Filipino people in attaining justice, human rights and peace. It will only fuel their resistance against the current structure and aspiration for a society that is truly humane, just and compassionate.
Justice for Fr. Tito Paez!
Justice for Pastor Lovelito Quiñones!
Justice for all victims of extrajudicial killings!
Continue the peace talks between the GRP and CPP/NPA/NDF!

International Lawyers group expresses solidarity with Filipino people for just peace, against tyranny

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
International Lawyers group expresses solidarity with Filipino people for just peace, against tyranny

International Lawyers group expresses solidarity with Filipino people for just peace, against tyranny

(published in http://www.manilatoday.net/intl-lawyers-group-express-solidarity-filipino-people-just-peace-tyranny/ )

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) passed a resolution on November 30 in its meeting in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to ‘urge the Philippine government to commit to end extrajudicial killings in the “war against illegal drugs”’ and ‘end extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests and other human rights violations against the people and members of people’s organizations.’ The resolution also called for the respect of international human rights and international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of human rights defenders, including human rights lawyers.

The meeting was attended by lawyers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Costa Rica, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

The IADL has a consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The IADL was founded on October 24, 1946 in Paris in a gathering of lawyers who had survived the war against fascism and participated in the Nuremberg Trials. Rene Cassin, a drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was named first IADL President.

The IADL also issued an emergency statement on the killing of two human rights workers in the middle of a fact-finding mission in Negros Oriental on November 28. In the statement, the group inquired if it is open season for human rights defenders after the termination of the peace talks. The group also called on the Philippine government to investigate the incident and bring perpetrators to justice.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) attended the IADL gathering. NUPL was invited to become a member of the IADL in 2007. Atty. Neri Colmenares and Atty. Edre Olalia serve as IADL Bureau members.

——————————————————————————–

IADL RESOLUTION ON THE CURRENT PHILIPPINE SITUATION

WHEREAS, several credible reports and documentation indicate that human rights violations continue to escalate in the Philippines in the form of, inter alia, extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, enforced disappearances, and internal displacement.

WHEREAS, according to various reports the number of individuals suspected to be involved in illegal drugs who apparently fell victims to extrajudicial or summary killings during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte ranges from 8,000 to 12,000 dead. The Philippine National Police reported 3,900 related deaths as of October 2017. On top of this, according to human rights groups, at least 88 persons, mostly farmers, have reportedly been slain on suspicion of supporting the rebel New People’s Army as of August 31, 2017.

WHEREAS, a few days ago, a factfinding mission investigating reported human rights violations in Negros Oriental were fired at by armed men causing the death of two human rights defenders and the critical wounding of another. Human rights lawyers and members of our affiliate the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and other human rights defenders have also been receiving threats for their human rights work and in October 2017, a paralegal aide of an NUPL member was murdered by unidentified armed men.

WHEREAS, President Duterte has openly shown intolerance of criticism and dissent when he publicly attacked not only mass organizations and the opposition but also the the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Commission on Human Rights, the Ombudsman, the media and even the President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippine for what he perceived to be statements critical of him or his human rights record.

WHEREAS, President Duterte has abruptly terminated the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines supposedly because of rebel attacks and that he does not want to form a “coalition government” with them, publicly called them “terrorists,” and labelled and threatened to arrest members of people’s organizations for protesting and on the claim of conspiracy with the rebels.

WHEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Bureau of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), an organization with consultative status in the UN ECOSOC, during its Bureau Meeting in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on November 29-30, 2017, attended by lawyers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Costa Rica, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam, to urge the Philippine government to :

  1. commit to end extrajudicial killings in the “war against illegal drugs”;
  1. end extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests and other human rights violations against the people and members of people’s organizations;
  1. stop or abort any and all measures or plans in any form that are authoritarian and are violative of basic rights;
  1. seriously investigate, prosecute and end impunity of the perpetrators of human rights violations;
  1. be tolerant of dissent and to respect the rights of the people to freedom of expression, speech, assembly and association;
  1. ensure the protection of human rights defenders including human rights lawyers;
  1. respect international human rights law and consider human rights as universal and not an internal affair of a state but a concern of the international community; and
  1. respect international humanitarian law and resume the peace process and the resolution of poverty, injustice and the roots of the armed conflict with the National Democratic Front and pursue efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
30 November 2017

Philippines: Two human rights defenders shot and killed

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0

1 December 2017

On 28 November 2017, two human rights defenders were killed and a third wounded in the Negros Oriental province in Philippines.

On 28 November 2017, Elisa Badayos, Eleuterio Moises, and Carmen Matarlo were shot by two unidentified men wearing black jackets and using black handguns at around 2:40pm at Brgy. San Ramon, Bayawan city in the Negros Oriental province. Elisa Badayos and Eleuterio Moises were pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. Carmen Matarlo was wounded but is now in stable condition. The three HRDs were traveling on the same motorcycle along with two other colleagues on another motorcycle. The victims’ colleagues noticed a motorcycle tailing them and shortly after heard six gunshots. Fearing they would be next, they kept driving to a safe distance. By the time they came back to the crime scene, the assailants had already left.

Elisa Badayos was the coordinator for Karapatan in Negros Oriental Province. Karapatan is a prominent human rights coalition in the Philippines. Elisa Badayos served as an organiser of urban poor communities in Cebu and also worked with Desaparecidos, an organization of families of the disappeared. Eleuterio Moises was a member of local peasant organization Mantapi Ebwan Farmers Association. Carmen Matarlo, 22, is the provincial coordinator of Kabataan in Cebu, which is a group of progressive youths.

According to Karapatan, the three HRDs were on a fact finding mission in Bayawan from 26-28 November 2017 to investigate reported human rights violations committed in the area by members of a private army of a local political clan in the area. Karapatan Negros and Farmers Development Centre – Cebu , a local NGO,  allege that the armed men are under the orders of the Gaudiels, an influential local political clan. They harass residents and target peasant organisations that support the land rights of local residents. The victims were attacked on the last day of their fact-finding mission.

On 30 November 2017, the Secretary General of Karapatan, Cristina Palabay, released a statement reporting that the victims had gone to a police station prior to the attack to report an earlier incident on the same day where they were harassed by armed men and blocked from conducting their investigations.

According to Karapatan, there have been 98 victims of extrajudicial killings between July 2016 and September 2017. The climate of impunity that prevails in the Philippines has resulted in a serious deterioration in the situation for human rights defenders in the country. Defenders of economic, social and cultural rights, including land and environmental defenders, are the most likely victims of killings. There are numerous reports of HRDs becoming the target of violence, intimidation and harassment, including by government officials, when they seek information about projects, investors or a project’s approval process, which often involves corruption. If they persist in this work despite the threats, they can face judicial harassment or extra-judicial killing.

Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the killing of Elisa Badayos and Eleuterio Moises, which it believes was solely motivated by their legitimate and peaceful activities in the defence of human rights in the Philippines.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Philippines to:

1. Strongly condemn the killing of Elisa Badayos and Eleuterio Moises;

2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the killing of human rights defenders Elisa Badayos and Eleuterio Moises, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

3. Take all necessary measures, in consultation with the defenders, to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Carmen Matarlo, as well as all human rights defenders working in the Philippines;

4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the Philippines are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.

Statement of Asia Pacific Coordinating Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0

Thwart Duterte’s Tyranny and Dictatorship!

Justice for Badayos, Moises and Timoteo and all victims of all out war!

 

 

President Rodrigo Duterte’s tyrannical and dictatorial actions further intensify the state of impunity, human rights violations and extra-judicial killings in the Philippines.

Over a year after Pres. Duterte was catapulted to power, he unravelled himself as a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ who devours the poor and powerless through his three-pronged wars – against illegal drugs, the so-called war on terror and counter-insurgency.

Even before his Proclamation 360 terminating the ongoing peace talks between the GRP and the NDFP, the communities of urban poor, peasants and indigenous people critical of his regime’s anti-people and neoliberal policies are already being terrorized by his military and police.

Following the footsteps of the deposed dictator Marcos, President Duterte is amassing political and economic power that will give him and his cohorts full control of the country’s affairs. He has been leading the charge to remove any strand of check and balance by muzzling the judiciary through the impeachment proceedings of the Chief Justice and Ombudsman.

Worse, Duterte’s blatant disregard for human rights and human rights advocacy and protection in the country is now victimizing even the human rights defenders. Peasants and indigenous people are labelled as NPA sympathizers to justify state atrocities against them.

Duterte’s all-out war is in full swing because of his failure to persuade the revolutionary forces to surrender without addressing first the root causes of armed revolution in the country. His repeated claims that there is no difference between armed and unarmed, combatants and non-combatants energize the blood-thirsty butchers and mercenary elements in the Philippine Armed Forces.

According to KARAPATAN and Tanggol Bayi there are now at least 98 victims of extra-judicial killings (17 of whom are women human rights defenders) under the Duterte administration. The latest case was killing of Elisa Badayos of Karapatan-Central Visayas, Elioterio Moises and Rodrigo Timoteo by suspected police and military men on November 29, 2017.

Badayos and a 30-member team were on fact-finding mission to investigate the alleged human rights violations due to intensified military operations in Negros Occidental when they were shot by armed men. Rodrigo Timoteo, member of Compostela Farmers Association (CFA) and a peasant rights activist, was shot dead by suspected agents of 66th Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army in Purok 20, Nursery Barangay Mambusao, Compostela, Compostela Valley.

The Asia Pacific Coordinating Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (APCCHRP) is in solidarity with the families of Badayos, Moises and Timoteo and all victims of extra-judicial killings and other forms of human rights violations in their struggle for justice. The APCCHRP call on the Duterte government to do the necessary actions to persecute the perpetuators of these dastardly acts against the hapless victims.

Moreover, the APCCHRP is calling the Duterte government to stop the all-out war against the Filipino people and instead go back to the negotiating table with the CPP/NPA/NDF to address the root causes of Filipino people’s malady.

The Duterte government must learn from history and from the experience of his idol – Ferdinand Marcos – that any military solution to the Filipino people’s call for land, jobs and decent living will only aggravate the already lamentable situation of millions and inflame their collective resistance and struggle towards a just and humane Philippines. ###

 

Reference:

Rev. Joram H. Calimutan
Faith Partnership and Solidarity
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants
No. 2 Jordan road, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
Telephone number: +852-2723-7536

 

Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31: 8-9)

 An Open Letter to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte  RE: The Killings of Elisa “Nene” Badayos and Eleuterio Moises

ICHRP Secretariat
-
0
30 November 2017

Dear Mr. President,

The Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights condemns in the
strongest terms the shooting incident in Bayawan, Negros Oriental province on November 28, 2017 which resulted to the death of Elisa “ Nene” Badayos, Karapatan Negros Oriental Coordinator and Eleuterio Moises, a peasant
organizer and member of Mantapi Ebwan Farmers Association. The attack also left Carmen Matario of Kabataan Partylist in critical condition.

The three were part of a 30-member Fact Finding Mission (FFM) team from November 26-28,2017, to investigate reports of human rights violations in Bayawan, Negros Oriental province, in light of harassment incidents perpetrated by members of the private army of a political clan in the said community.

The team was on their last day of the mission when they arrived in Barangay San Ramon, Bayawan at around 11am. While on their way to enter the area they were blocked and harassed by around 5-6 goons, reportedly belonging to the private army of Bayawan Mayor Pryde Henry Teves and utilized the Gaudiels. The Gaudiels are a political clan in the area and are known allies of the current mayor.

Armed men inquired as to their destination and the purpose of the mission, all while aiming their shotgun at the team’s vehicle. A motorcycle driven by locals who were guiding the mission vehicle confronted and negotiated with the guards, explaining to them the goal of the FFM team. They were eventually allowed to pass.

The team arrived in the area around 12 noon, separated into groups and conducted interviews. At around 2:30pm, while the rest of the FFM team conducted case documentation, another group readied to leave to go to Nangka Barangay Hall, Bayawa City for a courtesy call and subsequently, to the police station to file a blotter report regarding the harassment incident earlier. They went on convoy: Patrick Torres of Farmers Development Centre and Angel Trocio of Women’s Resource Centre of Visayas on board a motorcycle in front, while Carmen and Elisa were on the second vehicle driven by Eleuterio.

After twenty minutes of travel, Patrick and Angel noticed a motorcycle tailing them. Afterwards, they heard at least six gunshots. They glanced back to see what happened to Elisa, Carmen and Eleuterio. They saw assailants wearing black jackets and used black handguns to shoot the victims.

Together with the residents in the community, they brought the three victims to Bayawan District Hospital. Elisa and Eleuterio were pronounced dead-on-arrival while Carmen was in critical condition.

President Duterte, as Commander-in Chief, we hold you accountable for this crime of violence. Many activists, progressive organizations, and targeted communities area aware of the brutality and abuses that the State’s security forces are capable of and we see it more at an alarming rate.

In solidarity, CPSHR demands justice for Elisa and Eleuterio and other victims of extrajudicial killings.

We further urge your government:

1.   The immediate investigation of the incident to be conducted by an independent body;

2.   An end to the killing, targeting, harassment, and intimidation of human rights defenders, development workers, and members and leaders of progressive organizations;

3.   The immediate prosecution of all elements of private armed groups and their political patrons involved in the illegal arrest and detention of the victims;

4.   The immediate passage of House Bill 1617, or the Human Rights Defenders’ Protection Bill, and all such measures that aim to protect human rights defenders;

5.   An end to the Duterte regime’s counter-insurgency program Oplan Kapayapaan which encourages State security forces to threaten, harass, arbitrarily and illegally arrest development workers tagged as ‘enemies of the State’;

6.   The Philippine Government to continue the peace talks and build towards the advancement of a Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), which includes the issue of free land distribution to farmers and farm workers;

7.   The Philippine Government to pursue its commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which includes the right to freedom of thought and expression, freedom of conscience, political and religious beliefs and practices and the right not to be punished or held accountable for the exercise of these rights, and the right to free speech, press, association and assembly; and

8.   The Philippine Government to adhere and respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all major Human Rights instruments that it is a party and signatory.

Finally we call on your administration and all its institutions to uphold the basic human rights of the citizens whom you have sworn to serve.

Respectfully,

CANADA-PHILIPPINE SOLIDARITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 

Copied:H.E. Rodrigo Duterte
President of the Republic
Malacañang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
E-mail: op@president.gov.ph or send message through http://president.gov.ph/contact-us/Hon. Jesus Dureza
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
7th Floor Agustin Building I
Emerald Avenue
Pasig City 1605
Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066
Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216
Email: stqd.papp@opapp.gov.ph, feedback@opapp.net

Ret. Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-6193 / 911-0488 / 982-5600
Fax:+63(2) 982-5600
Email: info@dnd.gov.ph, webmaster@dnd.gov.ph

Hon. Vitaliano Aguirre
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline: 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email: communications@doj.gov.ph

Hon. Jose Luis Martin Gascon
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex, Commonwealth Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: chairgascon.chr@gmail.com

Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canada-Philippines-Solidarity-for-Human-Rights/Member: International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP-Canada)/
Stop the Killings Network (STKN-Canada)/ International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS-Canada)/
International Women’s Alliance (IWA)/ Mining Justice Alliance (MJA)
Associate Member: International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA)
Partner: Eco-Justice Working Unit, Anglican Diocese of New Westminster/
Justice Advisory Circle- United Church of Canada/Alliance for People’s Health (APH)
Proud Supporter of Bayan-Canada/Migrante-Canada

For reference:
Rev. Stuart Lyster, CANADA-PHILIPPINES SOLIDARITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (CPSHR)
4794 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC V5V 4H3
Email: cps_hr@yahoo.ca
1...969798...268Page 97 of 268