Transcript Slide 1
Stop the Killings in the Philippines
Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Peace and Human Rights in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP)
Human rights in the Philippines under the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are under attack
Number of victims of Extrajudicial Killings Number of victims of Forced Disappearance
Of the victims, 43 were children with two still unborn 725 (as of September 2006) 181
Quezon Oriental Mindoro Metro Manila Sorsogon Samar Albay Bulacan Tarlac
Violations occur all over the country
Nueva Ecija Leyte Camarines Sur Pampanga Davao del Sur Zamboanga del Norte Maguindanao
In most of the cases, units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and paramilitary groups (CAFGUs) maintained by the Philippine military have been reportedly involved.
These human rights violations violate most fundamental rights and liberties enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
Extrajudicial Killings and the OPLAN Bantay Laya (Guard Freedom)
Victims are:
Leaders or active members of militant parties or organizations Vilified and demonized as members of the CPP/NPA or its “front organizations”
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Subject to surveillance, harassed and warned that they were in the military’s “order of battle”
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Killers are either uniformed men with no nametags, or motorcycle-riding assassins Even the most brutal atrocities hardly elicit any decisive action or even condemnation from the government. All cases remain unsolved
A pattern exists
The foregoing pattern results in a climate of impunity, with the killings and abductions getting more brazen by the day
Operation plan (Oplan) Bantay Laya (Guard Freedom):
• The latest counterinsurgency program (essentially military operations) of the Philippine government • Government services and civil society programs are made to serve military objectives • Civilian authority is practically subjugated by the chain of command of the AFP. NGOs and other civil society groups are forced to surrender their independence and to cooperate with the AFP or risk being branded as “terrorist or front organizations” and be dealt with accordingly
CPP/NPA AND SECTORAL FRONT PERSONALITIES Neptali SANTOS @ ATONG Danny Rosal LADERA @ Angel Abelardo Rosal LADERA Angie LADERA Marie PAMPOSA Odeth BUNDALIAN Eliseo CADIANG Francisco Pol VIUYA Juliet CORPUZ Elmon DAVID CPP/NPA leader /Sec of KLG F2, Tarlac PCom, CLRC of the CPP/NPA Member of Tarlac PCom, CLRC of te CPP/NPA and nephew of CPP Spokesperson Gregorio Rosal BAYAN MUNA fielded Councilor of Tarlac City/nephew of CPP Spokesperson Gregorio Rosal President of IWS Labor Union, KMU member and wife of NPA member Danny LADERA Treasurer, BAYAN MUNA/ Deputy Sec WACOM, TARLAC PCOM,CLRC, CPP/NPA Member, White Area Committee (WACOM) of Tarlac PCom, CLRC of the CPP/NPA Chairman, BAYAN-Tarlac KMU member and Chairman Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Tarlac (NMT) KMU member of the IWSWU/Chairperson-NMT Chairman of KADAMAY Taken from a PowerPoint presentation of the NOLCOM
Who are the Victims of Human Rights Violations?
CIVILIANS UNARMED ORDINARY FOLKS SUPPORTER OR PURSUES CAUSES FOR THE POOR
Active in advancing the people’s rights, justice, peace and social change
PEASANTS
More than 50% of the victims
WORKERS
CHURCH LEADERS AND MEMBERS
BP. ALBERTO RAMENTO
HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS
Cris Hugo
YOUTH AND STUDENTS
Benjaline Hernandez
Women, lawyers, lay workers, leaders of urban poor communities, journalists, indigenous people – various sectors in the society have fallen victims.
What are the forms of human rights violations?
Extrajudicial Killings
Assassinations Summary Executions Massacres
This is the most widespread form
Forced Disappearances Repressive Laws
What have been done and what can we still do?
An international campaign to ‘STOP THE KILLINGS!’ has been launched.
In Hong Kong, separate as well as coordinated efforts to contribute to the international pressure to stop the human rights violations have been done.
Candlelight Vigil Protest Actions Letter-writing Campaign HK Mission for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines - first multisectoral fact-finding mission done in the Philippines by groups outside the country.
The support of the international community is still very much needed.
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Actions that can be taken are:
Write to the Philippine government, the Philippine Congress, the United Nations and its related-offices, and governments of other countries to express concern over the issue and urge them to take swift and concrete actions Write to the United Nations and urge the body to remove the Philippines from the Human Rights Council; Educate the public on the human rights situation in the Philippines and the importance of taking a stand on human rights; Join public gatherings and actions to stop the killings; Sign the online petition ( www.pinoyhr.net
) and encourage friends and networks to do the same, and; Join the HK Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines
Support the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines
INDICTING THE US-BACKED ARROYO REGIME FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, ECONOMIC PLUNDER AND TRANSGRESSION OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE’S SOVEREIGNTY
The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal is an international opinion tribunal, independent from any State authority
• founded in June 1979 in Italy by law experts, writers and other
intellectuals
• succeeded the Russell Tribunals I and II or the International War
Crimes Tribunal to expose the war crimes committed against the Vietnamese people
• the first international juridical body to condemn the US
sponsored Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines
The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines will hold its proceedings to convene on October 30, 2006 at The Hague, Netherlands
The tribunal is set to be held on
March 2007
Support the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines Send support messages Conduct support actions Be a patron, sponsor or donor Urge more groups to support the tribunal
For more information on the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines, visit: http://www.philippinetribunal.org
Stop extrajudicial killings in the Philippines!
Justice for the victims!
Defend Human Rights!
Struggle for peace based on justice!