An Outing “to remember” by victims and survivors of Martial Law -PAHRA

Victims and survivors of Martial Law human rights violations gathered last April 21, 2012 at the Sunken Garden of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, for an outing “to remember” the dark years of Martial Law 40 years ago as well as the swell of people’s courage to resist and struggle for basic freedoms, human rights and democracy.

The gathering also remembered the student resistance put up by the “Diliman Commune” who barricaded the university’s entrances against the entry of the police and other security forces.

This activity is part of a 6-months- “rememberML@40”- campaign to evoke the broadest efforts to inform about the gross and heinous perpetration of human rights violations during the repressive years of Martial Law and Marcos dictatorship.  On every 21st day of the month starting March until September, activities will be conducted so as to inspire people, especially the youth, to make human rights their preferred values and a way of life to ensure that martial law never happens again as well as the courage to fight against any repression of fundamental freedoms and human rights.

The day of outing included jogging, kite flying and sharing of stories by victims and survivors of martial law to inspire the next generation of the courage of those who resisted the repression of freedoms and rights during the martial law years.

Among the participants in the Diliman activity were the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and Claimmants 1081.

Max de Mesa, the Chairperson of PAHRA, stated in his opening remarks that: “Our thrust this morning is not only to inform, to inspire and to remember Martial Law after forty years, but also to gather support for the passage of a law to compensate the victims of human rights violations during the bloody Marcos dictatorship.”  He added that “compensating the victims is a necessary and correct step towards ending impunity.”

One of the main highlights of this latest unity of human rights defenders was their public signing of a petition calling on both the Philippine Congress and the Aquino administration to  immediately pass a legislative measure to compensate the victims of human rights violations during the bloody Marcos Dictatorship.

After signing a giant-sized petition printed on a tarpaulin, the human rights activists further posed with their ‘red ribbon tied-pinky fingers’ while holding up a placard saying: ‘We inform, inspire and remember ML@40’.  This was to contribute to the currently popular on-line campaign tagged ‘#rememberML@40’. This Facebook-based cyber campaign aims to gather 40,000 supporters by September 21 of this year (to mark forty years after Martial Law).

A member of Claimants 1081, an organization representing the numerous victims of Martial Law under the Marcos Dictatorship, said in closing: “Remembering is our tribute to all those who struggled for freedom, human rights and democracy.  Remembering is our way of inspiring the next generation to stand up for the same.” .  The other organizations which joined and supported today’s affair were: Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights), Medical Action Group (MAG), Youth for Rights (Y4R), Tbak, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Metro Manila Vendors Alliance (MMVA), KPD, CLRD and SANLAKAS.

Human rights groups urges Aquino “Tuldukan na ang tortyur’! Announce policy of total elimination of torture

Press release
February 25, 2012


Human rights groups urges Aquino “Tuldukan na ang tortyur’! Announce policy of total elimination of torture

As the country marks the 26th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA “People Power”, several human rights groups called on the Aquino administration to take all necessary measures to announce a policy of “total elimination” of the vestiges of Martial Law.

While the Anti-Torture Act or Republic Act (RA) No. 9745 is enacted to criminalize the acts of torture, the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC)-Philippines, made the call noting there are reports cases of torture being routinely practiced by authorities against suspects despite the law criminalizing such act.

In its statement, Ernesto A. Anasarias, Executive Director of Balay Rehabilitation Center and currently the head of UATC Secretariat, said “the authorities’ partiality not to comply with the law runs in the ‘institutional impunity’ we have right now.”

“The persistence of torture casts doubts on the effectiveness of the law.  Despite the law, in practice, there are insufficient legal safeguards for arrested suspects and detainees, including among others, failure to bring them promptly before a judicial authority, restricted access to lawyers and medical doctors, and failure to contact family member immediately after their arrest,” Anasarias added.

Edeliza P. Hernandez of the Medical Action Group (MAG) likewise claimed the government seems to be dragging their heels on the investigation of torture cases. No member of the police and military has been arrested for alleged torture case since Aquino took office, and no superiors have been put on trial for their suspected involvement in or acquiescence to the alleged acts of torture.

Struggle for a larger freedom of information

STRUGGLE FOR
A LARGER FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

February 10, 2012

The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) welcomes  the initial gains of  a convergent struggle towards a larger freedom of information.

PAHRA acknowledges the advances made so far in the proposed bill by the staunch supporters in the legislative  branch, the contribution of and vital endorsement by President Benigno Aquino III as head of the executive branch as well as the unflagging campaign of civil society through the Coalition for Freedom of Information, Right Now!

We commend the concrete provisions that expand access to information, e.g. those pertaining to the submission of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), to effectively prevent and prosecute graft and corruption among government officials as these adversely impact on the economic, social and cultural rights of people.

Nonetheless, full enjoyment of the right to information is still primarily a State obligation which the people must continuously demand and determinedly struggle for.

Soon, the Filipino people will be commemorating again the toppling of the Marcos Dictatorship which violated our fundamental freedoms and grossly violated our human rights with impunity.  More than three decades have passed, government and military information on the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings, massacres, enforced disappearances, torture and other gross human rights violations involving economic, social and cultural rights have been suppressed. Relatives still do not know what really happened to their loved ones and who are the perpetrators of these violations and crimes.

The officially turned-over martial law documents by the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)  to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), in their present pace and diligence, while a welcome initiative, has still a long way to go to bring closure, much more to obtain  justice for the victims and families of human rights violations.  The President, as Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief of the AFP, should order a fast, time-bound handing over of the rest of the identified 20, 000 files to the CHR.

Right to information is integral to combating impunity. The UN Updated Principles in Combating Impunity includes the right to truth.  There are two aspects of this right: the first is the individual’s, as well as, the victim’s families and relatives right to know the circumstances and  reasons for the victim’s torture, enforced disappearance or extrajudicial killing.  The second is the collective aspect, wherein the nation should remember the tragedies that were consequent of the human rights violations.  The obligation to preserve documents and other related evidences to the violations arise from the state’s duty.  So is the obligation that public access is facilitated.

Thus, the proposed “Freedom of Information Act of 2012” must contain the provisions that records of official investigations of alleged gross human rights violations, particularly extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture, must be preserved.  Also, information of these same human rights violations should never ever be classified as exemptions to deny public access as are crimes and wrongdoings, graft or corruption.  The excuse of “national security” should not be used to protect under its umbrage the perpetrators of human rights violations.

PAHRA calls on all those who fight for fundamental freedoms and human rights to lobby and obtain a law that advances towards a  larger freedom of information.

PAHRA unites with all who struggles for the right to truth to combat and end graft, corruption and impunity.

Sulu judge defies supreme court, due process denied human rights defender -PAHRA

SULU JUDGE DEFIES SUPREME COURT,
DUE PROCESS DENIED HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

The impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Renato Corona has began.  One of the immediate and foremost issues of contention was that of due process which must be accorded to the accused.

The Constitution is clear that due process is a sine qua non in one’s defense for life, liberty and property.  At the same time, according to former Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban: “…An impeachment proceeding is sui generis; has its own unique genre, and is equal to no other.” (“More political than legal”. PDI, January 8, 2011, p. A13)  The process then that is due the defendant in the impeachment case is laid down by the Senate jurors.

The impeachment provides the people an extraordinary opportunity to be sensitized to the different kinds of due process, an integral component of obtaining justice.  Due process must be ensured not only to a Renato Corona but to every Juan de la Cruz.

Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie in fear for his life but ready to face trumped-up criminal charges petitioned the Supreme Court for a transfer of venue ( A.M. No. 11-4-75- RTC).  The Supreme Court, Third Division, issued a Reso dated 13 June 2011 which stated:

“… that continuing with the trial of the subject criminal cases in the RTC, Jolo, Sulu, can lead to a miscarriage of justice…”

The Court then resolved to:

GRANT the petition of transfer and TRANSFER the said cases to RTC of Davao City and
DIRECT
a. The Clerk of Court of the RT, Branch 3, Jolo, Sulu, to forward the entire records of Criminal Case Nos (07-09) 1648-3 and (07-09) 1649-3 to the office of the Executive Judge of the RTC, Davao City for the raffles of the cases among the courts in the station and
b. The judge to whom the cases may be assigned to hear and decide the cases with utmost dispatch.

PAHRA expresses grave concern that, despite the Supreme Court’s reiteration of its June 13, 2011 decision, Judge Betlee-Tan Baraquisas of the RTC, Branch 3, Jolo, Sulu, stubbornly taken responsibility to have Mr. Tulawie returned to Jolo…with the high risk of harm and even of losing his life.  The assigned PNP and other law enforcers should have taken these facts into consideration and the Constitutional right to due process.

PAHRA is equally apprehensive of the action of Judge Baraquisas which to our perception erodes the integrity and credibility of the highest court of the land.  Such actions do not bode well for the renewal and strengthening of the judiciary.

RESPECT AND PROTECT THE RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF EVERY CITIZEN.
ACT ON THE JUNE 13 RESOLUTION OF THE SUPREME COURT;
TRANSFER IMMEDIATELY TULAWIE’S FILES TO RTC, DAVAO

Wanted Palparan by PAHRA

House of Representatives, House for Impunity?

The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) calls on our House of Representatives to prevent the passage of a House Resolution endorsing the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the heroes’ cemetery. For this end, we especially ask for our lawmakers who already did sign to withdraw their signatures.

An approval for this House Resolution would turn our House of Representatives into a House for Impunity.

Ferdinand E. Marcos could never be a Filipino hero.  This is tantamount to justifying the numerous atrocious human rights violations perpetrated during his dictatorial regime and his imposition of martial law.  The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) has a Museum of Courage and Resistance that contains the documentation of at least 21,000 cases of human rights violations during the marital law period.  The Museum’s documentation since 1974 belies not only the blatant denial of Marcos that “no one but no one has been tortured”, but upholds the position that the impunity of that period persists beyond EDSA.

Human rights advocates hold seminar with NGOs on new anti-torture law

By Hader Glang
Source: http://www.zamboangatoday.ph

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from provinces in Mindanao on Wednesday completed a one day seminar on Anti-Torture Law and United Nations Committee Against Torture Concluding Observations and Recommendations, held in one of the local hotels in this city.

The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) oriented the NGOs on concluding observations and recommendations including the training of the police, military regarding the convention against torture and steps to be taken for people who are arrested and due process to be able to prevent torture.

Concern about the enforced disappearance of a Human Rights Defender

Concern about the enforced disappearance of a Human Rights Defender

Thursday, 03 March 2011 07:55

Pattani Razeek. Photo source: http://www.humanrights.asia Dear Inspector General of Police, SRI LANKA: Disappearance of FORUM-ASIA Executive Committee Member Pattani Razeek - prime suspect has not been arrested Name of the Victim: Mr. Pattani Razeek of No. 70, Sameeragama, Kottantivu, Puttalam, Sri Lanka Alleged Perpetrators: Mr. Shabdeen Nowshadh Date of latest incident: 11 February, 2010 Place of incident: Polonnaruwa North Central Province. I would like to raise my serious concerns on the further information that I have received in the case of Mr. Pattani Razeek of No. 70, Sameeragama, Kottantivu, Puttalam. Mr. Razeek was a well known human rights defender in Sri Lanka and Asia. At the time of his alleged disappearance, he was the Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund (CTF) and was an Executive Committee Member of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). Mr. Razeek has been missing since he was apparently abducted on 11 February 2010 in the town of Polonnaruwa, North Central Province in Sri Lanka. He may have been the victim of an enforced disappearance. The state authorities have not shown any interest in either investigating or arresting the main suspect in the case despite credible evidence being provided by the relatives. It is believed that this failure is due to the influence of powerful politician in the area.