Council urges Aquino to sign int'l convention | Sun.Star Network Online

Council urges Aquino to sign int'l convention | Sun.Star Network Online

Wednesday, February 2, 2011
More Sections


THE City Council passed a resolution urging President Benigno Aquino III to sign the international convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance.

Councilor Karminn Yangot, who authored the resolution which was passed by the Council last Monday, also asked the President to certify the same for ratification by the Senate.




But Councilor Peter Fianza, who abstained from voting, said the proposal is more of a National Government concern, not the local government.

Fianza also said countries which did not ratify the convention have their reasons for not signing.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) named the Philippines as one of top eight countries in Asia where activists forcibly disappeared.

Yañgot said it is not enough that the Supreme Court issued orders to help surface missing persons believed to be victims of enforced disappearance, this is not enough.

The United Nations International Convention for the Protection of all persons from Enforced Disappearances called on countries last year to investigate acts of enforced disappearances and make accountable those who are responsible.

They also called to criminalize enforced disappearance of a person, and to guarantee victims of enforced disappearance or those directly affected by it right to compensation and other forms of reparation.

The Philippines is not a signatory to the convention.

"Ratification of the Convention will be an affirmation of the commitment to human rights of the Philippine Government, which is known for its role as one of the States that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948," the council said.(Rimaliza Opiña)

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on February 03, 2011.