Karapatan

After CA decision and new evidence on military involvement in Burgos disappearance

"We challenge Pres. Aquino to remove ISAFP Chief Brig. Gen. Eduardo Año from his post and hold him accountable for the enforced disappearance of Jonas and other human rights violations," Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan said. 
 

The Burgos family yesterday submitted new evidence to the Supreme Court including the picture of Jonas allegedly under military detention. Two weeks ago, the Court of Appeals ruled on the writ of Amparo on the case of Jonas. "All of these point to one incontrovertible truth: that the enforced disappearance of Jonas and other desaparecidos are perpetrated by the AFP," Palabay said.  

“Jalandoni Campos’ arrest is blatant political harassment against progressive people’s organizations and partylists,”, states Dr. Naty Castro, secretary general of Karapatan Caraga.

Karapatan called on the Aquino government for a transparent and credible process in the selection of the members of the Human Rights Victims Claims Board. The Claims Board is mandated by RA 10368 (Human Rights Violation Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013) to formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the said law; and to process the claims of victims of human rights violations during martial law. 

“Not one day more!” said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, on the continued detention of Rolly Panesa, a security guard mistaken by the AFP to be a high-ranking official of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).  Panesa has been in detention for 164 days since his arrest in October 2012.

Karapatan joins the Pilgrims for Peace as it calls for the continuation of the peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the release of all detained NDFP consultants to the peace process, and in standing by the four substantive peace agenda as stipulated in theHague Joint Declaration especially the agenda on social and economic reforms.

Karapatan supports the nominees of the Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) and Tanggol Bayi for the Human Rights Victims Claims Board, a body mandated by RA 10368 (Human Rights Violation Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013) to work on the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and to process the victims’ applications for compensation.  

The two organizations submitted the following names of nominees to the Office of the President on March 12: 

With pride, Karapatan pays tribute to Kagawad Cristina Jose, a true leader and servant of the people of Compostela Valley.  

Cristina Jose’s life and struggle embody those of the poor majority of the Filipinos who are exploited and oppressed. But more importantly, Cristina Jose epitomizes the poor Filipinos’ pursuit for justice, and the assertion of their national and democratic aspirations.  

Cristina Jose represents those who were victimized by landgrabbing in favour of the business interests of loggers and transnational mining companies that operate in their communities;

Cristina Jose represents the vulnerability of the poor people to disasters, not only because of natural calamities but also because of environmental degradation that was a result of the plunder of our resources by big business;

Cristina Jose represents  those who were victims of government discrimination and neglect, bureaucratic red-tape, inefficiency and corruption in providing assistance to victims of calamities and disasters, using the communist bogey as an excuse; 

Cristina Jose represents the victims of the government’s tactic of victim blaming when people assert their right to take what is rightfully theirs; 

Cristina Jose represents the many other victims of human rights violations, those who were killed, disappeared, arrested and tortured for asserting their rights;