Updates « New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

Urgent Action Alert! Karapatan staff receives death threats in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

Karapatan staff receives death threats in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

UA No: 2011-11-01

UA Date :	26 November 2011
UA Case :	Threat, harassment and intimidation
Victim/s :	JOSE LUIS BLANCO, 25 Coordinator, Karapatan-Dumaguete
Place of Incident :	At the field office of Karapatan-Central Visayas in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Date of Incident :	November 8 and 21, 2011
Alleged Perpetrator(s) :	Unidentified person believed to be a military agent

Account of the Incident:

On the afternoon of November 8, 2011, while Karapatan coordinator Jose Luis Blanco was resting at the office after a field work, he received a call on his cellphone from an unregistered number (09095596583).

The male caller asked if he is speaking to Jose Luis Blanco. After confirming that he is Blanco, the caller then burst out in a barrage of anti-communist monologue. The caller accused Blanco of being a member of the New People’s Army, and a “God-less automaton of Jose Maria Sison in the Netherlands. The caller threatened Blanco that he will be sexually abused and stabbed to death. The caller also warned that “they” know where Blanco is, and that “they” would have him killed.

Shocked at the caller’s tirade, Blanco could only mutter “ok” during the two-minute call.

When the phone was disconnected, the perpetrator called again.But Blanco turned off his phone. Blanco later reported the incident to the local police.

On November 21, the perpetrator called again, but Blanco did not answer.

Since 2008, Blanco has been receiving threats and harassment because of his human rights work. His person has been vilified on numerous occasion by the 79^th Infantry Battalion. He was also falsely charged of kidnapping, direct assault, and more recently, of violation of the Negros Oriental provincial ordinance that regulates the conduct of fact-finding missions.

Recommended Action:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:

The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into threat, harassment and intimidation of Jose Luis Blanco.
The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”
The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innnocent and unarmed civillians
The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.

You may send your communications to:

H.E. Benigno C. Aquino III

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: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph

Sec. Teresita Quintos-Deles

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

osec@opapp.gov.ph

Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin

Secretary, Department of National Defense

Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,

E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City

Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488

Fax:+63(2) 911 6213

Email: osnd@philonline.com

Atty. Leila De Lima

Secretary, Department of Justice

Padre Faura St., Manila

Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721

Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214

Fax: (+632) 521-1614

Email: soj@doj.gov.ph

Hon. Loretta Ann P. Rosales

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: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com, lorettann@gmail.com

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address below.

URGENT ACTION Prepared by:

Karapatan

November 26, 2011 | Categories: Updates | Leave A Comment »

Urgent Action Alert: Soldiers Strafe Community, Kill Farmer, arrest 2 others in Arakan, North Cotabato

Soldiers strafe community, kill farmer, and arrest 2 others in
Kabalantian village, Arakan, North Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines
(initial report)
UA No: 2011-10-03

UA Date :

22 October 2011

UA Case :
Arbitrary killing; indiscriminate firing; illegal arrest and detention; forcible evacuation; threat, harassment and intimidation

Victim/s :
Arbitrary killing
Ramon Batoy, male, 35 years old
o Married with 2 children
o A tenant farmer of Antipas Vice-Mayor Van Cadungon
o Supporter of Bantay Kalikasan of Mt. Sinaka

Illegal arrest and detention; Physical assault
Noli Badol, male, 35 years old
o Married with children
o Peasant leader

Celso Batoy, male, 47 years old

Threat, harassment and intimidation; indiscriminate firing; Forcible evacuation

Gina Batoy, female, 33 years old
o Married to Ramon Batoy
o 6 months pregnant

Evelyn Badol, female, 32 years old
o Married to Noli Badol
o 8 months pregnant

48 families, residents of Sitio Upper Lumbo, Kabalantian village, Arakan, North Cotabato

Place of Incident :
Sitio Upper Lumbo, Baranggay (village) Kabalantian, Municipality of Arakan, Province of North Cotabato

Date of Incident :
20 October 2011

Alleged Perpetrator(s) :
Armed elements of the 57th and 38th Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army, and the 10th Special Forces Airborne

Account of the Incident:
On October 20, between 7-8am, some soldiers of the 57th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army forcibly entered the house of farmer Ramon Batoy, 35. The soldiers accused Batoy as a member of the New People’s Army. When Batoy resisted, a soldier hit him with the butt of a rifle. To defend himself and his family, Batoy struck the soldier with his bolo, instantly killing the latter.

Three soldiers, one of them with a mask, fired at Batoy, his house, and seven other houses nearby. Ramon’s six-months-pregnant wife, Gina, escaped with their daughter and son.

An eyewitness saw a soldier strap a rifle on Batoy and then took pictures.

Ramon’s neighbor, Noli Badol, 35 and a peasant leader, was also mauled and tortured by the soldiers. Noli’s legs and hands were tied. Noli’s eight-months-pregnant wife, Evelyn, and their children, tried to come to Noli’s aid and pleaded with the soldiers, but were shot at by the soldiers three times.

Soldiers also mauled and detained Celso Batoy, 47. Noli and Celso were also accused as NPA members and are detained at the military detachment as of this writing.

The house of Ramon’s brother Roger Batoy was one of those strafed by the soldiers. Roger, who was inside his house with his wife and stepmother, was reportedly wounded in the foot by bullet fragments.

The incident caused terror among community members that resulted to the evacuation of at least 48 families. The residents evacuated to Binoongan Elementary School.

Lt. Col. Joven Gonzales, commander of the 57th Infantry Battalion immediately announced to the media that an encounter took place in Arakan town around 5:45 a.m. while the soldiers were conducting “a clearing operation.” He told the media that the operation was “legitimate” and that Ramon Batoy, Noli Badol and Celso Batoy were NPA members.

Karapatan-Southern Mindanao learned that the 57th IB forced Badol, who was tortured, to say on radio that his neighbour Ramon Batoy was an NPA.

Ramon Batoy’s remains lies in state at the Arakan Municipal Gym.

A quick reaction team composed of Karapatan members and other human rights advocates are currently looking into the incident.

Recommended Action:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the incident in Sitio Upper Lumbo, Kabalantian village, Municipality of Arakan, North Cotabato, which led to the killing of Ramon Batoy, the arrest of Noli Badol and Celso Batoy, and the forcible evacuation of 48 households from their homes.
The immediate release of Noli Badol and Celso Batoy from unjust detention.
The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders and innocent civilians as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”
The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innnocent and unarmed civilians
The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.
You may send your communications to:

H.E. Benigno C. Aquino III
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: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph

Sec. Teresita Quintos-Deles
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
osec@opapp.gov.ph

Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
Email: osnd@philonline.com

Atty. Leila De Lima
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email: soj@doj.gov.ph

Hon. Loretta Ann P. Rosales
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: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com, lorettann@gmail.com

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address below.

URGENT ACTION Prepared by:

KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
National Office
2/F Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin cor Matatag Sts., B
rgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City 1100 PHILIPPINES
Voice/Fax: (+632) 435 4146
Email: urgentaction@karapatan.org
Website: www.karapatan.org

October 22, 2011 | Categories: Updates | Leave A Comment »

URGENT ACTION: Church worker and brother of EJK victim also gunned down by suspected state security forces in Palawan, Philippines

Church worker and brother of EJK victim also gunned down by suspected state security forces in Palawan, Philippines
UA No: 2011-09-02

UA Date :

30 September 2011

UA Case :
Extrajudicial killing (assasination)

Victim/s :
Victim of extrajudicial killing

RABENIO SUNGIT, male, 44 years old, married with nine (9) children

· A resident of Quezon, Palawan

· An active lay leader of Taguao Outreach Congregation of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)

· Interpreter of the Pelaw’an tribe

· Leader of indigenous group PAGSAMBATAN (Pagkakaisa ng mga Katutubo or Unity of Indigenous Peoples in Palawan)

· Member of Anakpawis Partylist

· Brother of Avenio “Abe” Sungit, a member of Karapatan-Palawan and UCCP, who was also killed in February 2005

Other victims

Widowed: TRINIDAD SUNGIT

Orphaned: Nine (9) children of Rabenio Sungit with ages 19, 17, 13, 15, 11, 6, 4, 2 to 0 years old.

Place of Incident :
Public Market along Pagayona Street, Municipality of Quezon, Palawan Province
Date of Incident :
5 September 2011, at around 1:30 pm

Alleged Perpetrator(s) :
Two (2) motorcycle-riding masked men believed to be state security forces

Account of the Incident:

According to reports of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) South Luzon Jurisdiction, on September 5, 2011 at around 1:30pm, Rabenio Sungit was shot dead by an unidentified motorcycle-riding man wearing a balaclava using a .45 caliber pistol in the public market along Pagayona Street, Municipality of Quezon, Palawan Province. Rabenio was with his wife, Trinidad Sungit and their 17 year old son, when the incident happened.

Trinidad recounted that earlier of the same day, her family together with Rabenio and the children of Avenio “Abe” Sungit, (Rabenio’s brother) gathered at the UCCP local church in Quezon to receive the support from the UCCP national office for the children of Abe Sungit. After the said meeting, they went to the market to buy some goods for the family. Trinidad, who was not far from Rabenio heard two gunshots and, in an instant, saw her husband fall to the ground. Trinidad saw the gunman hurriedly leaving the scene on a motorcycle driven by another person. Her son said that he saw the perpetrators fled towards a northern direction.

Prior to the incident, Rabenio attended a Basic Human Rights Orientation Seminar in Puerto Princesa, Palawan organized by the UCCP South Luzon Jurisdiction.

Trinidad and Winio (Rabenio’s brother) said that when Rabenio was still alive, they were frequently visited by elements from the Philippine Marines. Likewise, the family also noticed that Rolbing, a nephew of Rabenio and chieftain of the Pelaw’an tribe, believed to be an informer of the military, was always inquiring about Rabenio’s whereabouts.

According to the family and members of the Pelaw’an tribal community, Rabenio was known to be a simple and gentle person. He did not engage in vices like drinking liquor and gambling, but instead focused his energies on working daily to make ends meet for his family. He was a kind, just and a respected figure- a leader of their community who stood up in defense of people’s rights. He championed the indigenous rights for ancestral lands against encroachments of large-scale mining companies and other environmentally-destructive projects.

Families and friends are further disturbed and angered by the incident as this is not the first to happen in the Sungit family and tribal community. Rabenio’s elder brother, Abe Sungit, one of the Pelaw’an leaders and Karapatan-Palawan member, a known staunch oppositionist of and organizer against destructive mining operations and human rights violations, was also a victim of extrajudicial killing. The brothers’ steadfast and active involvement in just social causes for their rights as indigenous peoples solicited ill-will from the military who tagged them as “leftists” or “communists”. Since 2003, Abe Sungit had been in the so-called “Order of Battle” list of the military after exposing human rights violations in the province. Abe was shot dead also by unidentified motorcycle-riding men in 2005.

Recommended Action:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the assassination of Rabenio Sungit.
The indemnification of the relatives of Rabenio Sungit.
The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”
The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innnocent and unarmed civillians
The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.
You may send your communications to:

Atty. Leila De Lima
Secretary, Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila
Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email: soj@doj.gov.ph

September 29, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized, Updates | Leave A Comment »

URGENT ACTION ALERT: Seven-year-old girl shot by drunken soldier in Compostela Valley, Mindanao, Southern Philippines

Seven-year-old girl shot by drunken soldier in
Compostela Valley, Mindanao, Southern Philippines
UA No: 2011-09-01

UA Date :

September 30, 2011

UA Case :
Extrajudicial killing (or arbitrary killing);

Victim/s :
SUNSHINE H. JABINEZ

Seven (7) years old

Grade 2 pupil of Biasong Elementary School

Resident of Purok (sub-village) 3, Biasong, Napnapan village, municipality of Pantukan, Compostela Valley province

Place of Incident :
Purok 3, Biasong, Napnapan village, municipality of Pantukan, Compostela Valley province

Date of Incident :
September 3, 2011

Alleged Perpetrator(s) :
Private First Class (Pfc.) Baltazar Ramos, a certain “Sergeant Dalipong” and “Pfc. Valdez” who all belong to the Bravo Company of the 71st Infantry Battalion, under the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army

Account of the Incident:

Around 10:05 in the evening of September 2, 2011, Adelina Jabinez had just closed her store and videoke, there being a curfew in the community on the use of videoke machine. After which, she went to sleep together with her husband Berman and their only daughter Sunshine. Sunshine was positioned near the wall of their house, next to her was Adelina, and Berman. Adelina had her arm around her daughter when at around 11:30 pm she was awakened by 2 (two) gunshots. Stunned, she immediately woke her husband. Then she heard her daughter saying “Ma, Dad, sakit…” (Ma, Dad, I’m hurt). Adelina immediately told her husband to get their flashlight because she suspected that her daughter was hit. When Adelina touched her daughter and Berman turned-on the flashlight, they saw that she was bathed in blood.

Adelina immediately went outside to check who fired the gun, and she saw Private First Class Baltazar Ramos sitting and holding the gun pointing to the direction of their house; beside him was his Detachment Commander identified only as “Sgt. Dalipong”. When PFC Ramos saw Adelina come out, he fired at the ground. She went back in and carried Sunshine outside and presented her to PFC Ramos, saying, “Naigo akong anak, sir; malooy ka, sir; tabangi ko, sir, mabuhi pa siguro ni akong anak, sir (Sir, my child was hit. Have pity on us, help us sir, my child might be able to survive)!” PFC Ramos was shocked upon seeing the wounded child, because Adelina showed him the open wound from the right buttocks of the child, the worn out blanket and shortpants covered with blood.

Adelina did not see the gun because the two other soldiers took it away from PFC Ramos. As she asked help from PFC Ramos, who was still in shock, she shouted at him “You killed my daughter!” She cried to him to look for a motorcycle and maybe they could still save Sunshine. Her husband was able to borrow a motorcycle and Sgt. Dalipong immediately tried to get on it but Adelina stopped him and told him that he was drunk and that her husband should be the one to bring Sunshine to the hospital. A neighbor, helped Adelina find four (4) other motorcycles so that they could follow immediately. When Sunshine was finally brought to the hospital at around 2am, the doctor declared that she was dead on arrival. Sunshine’s father also went to the Police Station to report the incident.

Sunshine was hit in her right buttock, and the bullet went through the spinal cord and stomach. The doctor recovered a bullet from the child, and another was found on the floor of the Jabinez’ bedroom. Adelina told PFC Ramos that if she only knew that he was drunk and was carrying a gun, she would have left the house with her daughter Sunshine to seek safety.

Earlier that evening, at about 10:00 pm at the start of the curfew hour being implemented by the military in the community, PFC Baltazar Ramos and his fellow soldiers had a drinking spree inside their detachment camp located within the vicinity of the community of Sitio Biasong. PFC Ramos was already asleep but PFC Valdez woke him up to come with him and continue drinking at Sana’s videoke store. After drinking at Sana’s videoke store, they went to Lyn-lyn Egos’ videoke store. Upon entering, PFC Ramos immediately harrased the civilians who were also drinking there. He pointed to the civilians and asked, ”Sinong astig dito (Who’s the tough guy here)?” The civilians did not answer because they were all frightened. One civilian identified only as ”Jan-Jan” was in the kitchen when PFC Ramos went inside and asked, ”Ikaw, astig ka (You, are you a tough guy)?” PFC Ramos picked up a bottle to smash on Jan-jan’s head, but to his surprise, Jan-Jan had also picked up a bottle to smash on PFC Ramos’s head. Ramos ran away and Jan-Jan chased him.

PFC Ramos ran towards their detachment; the civilians, who thought that Ramos went to get his gun, also ran away for safety. Eventually, all of the customers left Lyn-lyn’s videoke store. Ramos went back to the videoke store which the owner Lyn-lyn had locked up. Ramos, thinking that his enemy Jan-jan was still inside, begged Lyn-lyn, to open up. Lyn-lyn answered him that Jan-jan had already fled, but Ramos did not listen.

Meanwhile, the detachment commander Sgt. Dalipong, who, out of drunkenness, had fallen asleep in a chair outside the store, was awakened by PFC Ramos’ menace. Dalipong and Ramos scrambled for the K3 light machine gun, carried by the latter. Dalipong removed the magazine from the gun but didn’t check for bullets left in the chamber. Dalipong went back to sleep, as Ramos threatened Lyn-lyn to open the door, or he will strafe the house. Lyn-lyn cried for help from Dalipong and asked him to bring Ramos back to their detachment, but Dalipong’s reply was, “Wala na (He has left).” At this point, Ramos pointed the gun at the Jabinez house and fired, killing Sunshine.

PFC Ramos was arrested soon after the incident, and is now detained at Compostela Valley Rehabilitation Center. However, it was reported that though Ramos is under BJMP custody, he was free to roam within the Center’s compound. PFC Valdez and Sgt. Dalipong are in the custody of the 10th ID.

Soldiers have been deployed to Napnapan village since the start of the operation of the Napnapan Mineral Resources Inc. (NMRI) and the American company Russel Mining and Minerals Inc. On April 12, Santos Manrique, a leader of small-scale miners protesting the entry of big mining companies, was shot dead in his home.

Residents reported that the soldiers had been violating the community’s curfew hour on the use of videoke, which was only until 10 pm. Even as videoke store owners assert the implementation of curfew hour, the soldiers will just confidently ignore it and answer, ”Kami ay sundalo, kami ang masusunod (We are soldiers, we are the ones who give orders).”

Recommended Action:

Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:
The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into the death by strafing of Sunshine Jabinez.
The immediate pull-out of the 71st IB of the Phil. Army from the villages in Compostela Valley, as well as the withdrawal of other military units in the civilian communities.
The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”
The Philippine Government to withdraw its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, which victimizes innnocent and unarmed civilians.
The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.
You may send your communications to:

H. E. Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
2/F Bonifacio Hall, Malacañang, Manila
Tel: 733-3010 loc 882/ 887
Website: president.gov.ph

Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
7/F Agustin I Building, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel: 6360701 to 06 / 637-6083
Fax: 638-2216
Email: stqd@opapp.net
Website: opapp.gov.ph

Secretary Leila M. de Lima
Department of Justice (DOJ)
DOJ Main Building, Padre Faura Street, Manila
Tel: 521-1908
Fax: 523-5548
Email: doj.delime@gmail.com
Website: doj.gov.ph

Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin
Department of National Defense (DND)
DND Building, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City
Tel: 911-6193 / 911-1746
Fax 911-6213
Website: dnd.gov.ph

Please send us a copy of your email/mail/fax to the above-named government officials, to our address; urgentaction@karapatan.org

URGENT ACTION Prepared by:
KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
–

September 29, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized, Updates | Leave A Comment »

LOCAL ACTION ALERT: Int’l Day of the Disappeared August 30

Dear Community & Allies,

Every year on August 30th, the International community remembered the
missing and disappeared people throughout the world. The International
Day of the Disappeared on August 30 is an annual commemoration day
created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at
places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or
legal representatives; and it calls on all governments to provide
answers to families on the fate and whereabouts of missing persons.

The observance of the date was started by the Federation of
Association of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared (Federación
Latinoamericana de Asociaciones de Familiares de
Detenidos-Desaparecidos, or FEDEFAM) based in Costa Rica in 1982. The
tradition has been adopted by many human rights advocates and
organizations worldwide.

New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) and SFCHRP (San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines) is holding
a 2-day National Day of Action on Monday, August 29th & Tuesday,
August 30th to:

1) Commemorate the victims of enforced disappearances and other Human
Rights (HR) violations;

2) Demand the Consul General communicates to President Noy-Noy that
the International community is concern with the on-going enforced
disappearances and other human right violations happening to the
Filipino in the Philippines and that no justice has been given to
their families

3) Urge the community and our friends to get involved in this issue.

Please join us on this important day to remember and demand justice
for all the victims and press the Philippine government to take
necessary actions to help end enforced disappearances and all forms of
political persecution and repression by stopping all military
atrocities to civilians in the Philippines.

Let us not forget the victims, let us make the voices of the
disappeared heard and let us unite in demanding an end to human
atrocities.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!!! We invite and urge that you and your
organization to join us on August 29th – 30th as we dedicate time and
energies towards forward movement on the fight for justice of the
Filipino people in the Philippines.

Monday & Tuesday: PHONE AND LETTER BLAST thru phone and fax!

Pls. CALL and/or mail/ fax a letter to the Philippine Consulate with
your name. The Consul General’s info is on the bottom of the email.

If you are in a different state, please go to
http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/ to check who the Consul General
that covers your state. A sample phone script and letter has been
attached for you as well.

CONTACT:

Consul General Mario L. de Leon Jr.

Telephone: (212) 764-1330 Ext. 308
Fax: (212) 764-6010

Contact info for San Francisco:

Consul General MARCIANO A. PAYNOR, JR

Telephone 415-433-6666

Fax 415-421-2641

Email: http://www.philippinessanfrancisco.org/philippines-sf/contact-us-sf/

Philippine Consulate

447 Sutter Street, 6th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94108

Contact info for LA:

CONSUL GENERAL MARY JO BERNARDO ARAGON

Telephone (213) 637-3008

Fax (213) 639-0990

Email: losangelespcg@earthlink.net

3600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500,
Los Angeles, CA 90010 U.S.A.

Int’l Day of the Disappeared phone script

Letter to Consulate

August 25, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized, Updates | Leave A Comment »

Amnesty International Letter to Philippine Presidential Candidates

PLEASE CLICK LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S LETTER TO PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES 9 FEBRUARY 2010

Amnesty letter to Phil pres candidates

PHILIPPINES: CANDIDATES NEED TO DIVULGE THEIR POSITIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI Index: ASA 35/001/2010

9 January 2010

The worst pre-election violence in Philippine history – the Maguindanao massacre – has focused global attention on the human rights situation in the country. Now more than ever, candidates in the 10 May presidential elections need to clarify how they will address key human rights issues facing the country.

Today as the presidential campaign period officially begins, Amnesty International calls on all of the presidential candidates to make clear, public commitments on the actions they will take in the first 100 days of office to address serious human rights violations. In a public letter to the candidates, Amnesty International called on them to affirm their commitment to:

1) Revoke Executive Order 546, and ensure full accountability over all state-sponsored militias and paramilitary groups.

Despite the mass killing of 63 civilians on 23 November in Maguindanao, members of state-armed local groups and private armies are still free to operate in other parts of the country The Philippine government’s continued failure to establish accountability for members of these armed groups undermines the rule of law and denies human rights protection for civilians.

Within 100 days, the new Philippine president should revoke Executive Order 546, which allows for militia and paramilitary groups to provide active support in counterinsurgency operations. In practice, these groups have been ill-trained, unaccountable, poorly integrated into the military chain of command, and responsible for serious human rights violations. In some provinces, Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVOs) effectively function as private armies for local politicians, heightening the risk of pre-election violence.

2) Establish a presidential commission aimed at preventing and prosecuting enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions.

In the last decade, at least 200 Filipinos have been subjected to enforced disappearance, and as many as 1,100 have been executed in political killings. The incoming president needs to establish an impartial and independent commission to review these cases, with the aim of enabling timely and effective investigations and, where warranted, prosecutions.

The new president should initiate legislation that specifically criminalizes enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions. He or she should sign the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

3) Order the administration to fully implement the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the displaced.

Despite the ceasefire in Mindanao, more than 125,000 people remain displaced by the 2008 armed conflict alone. To address this grave humanitarian situation, the incoming president should publicly instruct the administration to ensure that policies comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

Under the Guiding Principles, the government must ensure that the displaced are provided with adequate food, water, shelter, and clothing, as well as essential healthcare and sanitation. It must also guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access to areas under its control. In addition, the government must implement a sustainable plan of action so that the displaced can return to their villages, safely and voluntarily.

As commander-in-chief, the new president will be directly responsible for ensuring that the armed forces comply with international humanitarian law. As a core principle, this law explicitly prohibits direct or indiscriminate attacks against civilians, and this includes displaced persons and all other non-combatants.

February 11, 2010 | Categories: Updates | Leave A Comment »

NYC SAYS FREE THE 43!

ARREST OF 43 ANOTHER CASE OF TORTURE AS A STATE POLICY — NYCHRP

NEW YORK– A local human rights advocacy organization denounced the arrest and ongoing maltreatment of the detained 43 health workers in a Philippine military camp as another example of the Philippine military’s routine use of torture in its counter-insurgency campaign known as Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL). It called for the immediate and unconditional release of the health workers affiliated with the Community Medicine Development Foundation (COMMED) and Council for Health and Development (CHD) who are currently still in detention in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

“The Arroyo government acts as if it is above International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law,” states Gary Labao of the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP). “Since OBL’s first launch in 2002 and re-launch in 2007, one of its distinctive features is the targeting of unarmed civilians critical of government policies in the name of annihilating armed insurgency in the countryside. The arrest of the 43 health workers, who were conducting a medical training seminar to service of the poor, shows how the Philippine military employs arbitrary arrests, denies legal counsel, and inflicts torture upon civilians, forcing them into ‘admit’ they are armed rebels. This so-called ‘evidence’ gathered by Philippine security forces should not be deemed admissible in any court of law.”

The rights group also recalled the case of Melissa Roxas, a US citizen and community health worker from Los Angeles, whose testimony to the Philippine Supreme Court last year stated that she was abducted, blindfolded, and tortured for six days by captors who were forcing her to admit she was a member of the New Peoples Army (NPA). Though the Philippine Supreme Court denied a petition filed by Roxas to conduct a investigation of Fort Magsaysay, headquarters of the 7^th Infantry Division of the Philippine military and the location where Roxas believes she was detained, it ruled to grant Roxas a writ of amparo (protection) that validated the claim of abduction and torture based on supporting testimony from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and reports from medical examiners.

“What the Arroyo government repeatedly ignores is the mandate of the various covenants on human rights it has ratified which unconditionally entitles armed groups such as the NPA protection from any form of torture or degrading treatment,” Labao added.

In its concluding observations of the Philippine delegation’s presentation during its 42nd session in Geneva last April, the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UN CAT) expressed concern over the “routine and widespread use of torture and ill-treatment of suspects in police custody.” The Philippines ratified the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment of Punishment in 1986, the same year that marked the fall of the Marcos dictatorship.

Two international non-governmental organizations (NGO’s)— the International Federation of Actions by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (FIACAT) and Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT) submitted an alternative report on the Philippines to the UN CAT that same year.

“Torture and ill-treatments are often committed [by the Philippine military] in order to extract confessions…and obtain forced testimonies,” the 2009 FIACAT-ACAT report on the Philippines states.

The same report also outlines the practice of “arrests with excessive violence” and “the use of fabricated charges” as a “method to keep targeted persons in unjustifiable detention.”

NYCHRP also warned that the upcoming May 2010 elections are another indication of escalating violence in the country, as demonstrated by the clash of governing warlords competing for a gubernatorial seat in Maguindanao that resulted in the gruesome Ampatuan Massacre last November 23rd.

“OBL and the case of the Morong 43 validates of the UN CAT’s published observations on the Philippines,” Labao added. “But as long as a culture of impunity persists in the Philippines, allowing the perpetrators of arbitrary arrests and torture to roam unaccounted, the international community plays a role in supporting the people’s movement in the Philippines for the advancement and protection of basic human rights and dignity.” ###

Still photos of the protest by Jonna Baldres (NAFCON) click here

NYCHRP demands the release of 43 Filipino healthworkers. Photo by Jonna Baldres (NAFCON)

February 11, 2010 | Categories: Updates | Leave A Comment »

NAFCON STATEMENT ON THE ILLEGAL ARREST OF FILIPINO HEALTHWORKERS

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns-US (NAFCON-US) Demands the Immediate Release of 42 Health Workers Illegally Arrested and Illegally Detained in a Military Raid, Rizal Province, Philippines

New York—NAFCON-US, an alliance of Filipino American organizations based in 23 cities, condemns the Philippine police and military’s illegal raid and abduction of 42 health workers and doctors who were conducting health skills training in Morong, Rizal, Philippines on Saturday, February 6. The health workers and doctors administer health services to poor communities, and were participating in a First Responders Training, sponsored by the Community Medicine Foundation, Inc. (COMMED) and Council for Health and Development (CHD). Their personal belongings, as well the training materials used, were all confiscated by the military.

The human rights alliance KARAPATAN reports approximately 300 soldiers and police of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Rizal Philippine National Police (PNP) forcibly entered the farmhouse of Dr. Melecia Velmonte at 6:15 AM. At gunpoint, the military forced the caretaker to open the gates. Inside, the soldiers fanned out to different directions. They also kicked the main door to get into the building.

When Dr. Velmonte and her son, Bob demanded for a search warrant, they were merely brushed aside by the military. All medical practitioners and health workers, were ordered to line up at the garage, frisked, and handcuffed. The victims were also questioned and photographed by the military, while another took a video recording of the interrogation. The male victims were then blindfolded with old shirts brought in by the soldiers and secured with packaging tape.

When the participants were already handcuffed, it was only then that Police Superintendent Marion P. Balonglong showed Bob a search warrant for a certain Mario Condes of Bgy. Maybangcal, Morong, Rizal, charged with illegal possession of firearms. The search warrant dated February 5, 2010 and issued by Judge Cesar A. Mangrobang of Branch 22 of the Imus, Cavite Regional Trial Court, did not indicate the exact address of the Velmonte compound. Bob asserted that the warrant did not specify their address, and that Mario Condes, who is subject of the warrant, is not even the owner of the house, but he was ignored by the authorities.

The health workers were forced into the military trucks and were brought to Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, headquarters of the 202nd Infantry Brigade of Philippine Army. The health workers have been held incommunicado since then, and have been denied their right to legal counsel. A team from the Commission on Human Rights was also blocked from seeing the detainees.

“The PNP and AFP’s illegal abduction and detention of health professionals is reprehensible and again highlights the Arroyo regime’s disregard for human rights,” states Father Benjamin Alforque, NAFCON-US President. “We condemn the government for arresting these health care providers while they were undergoing ‘First Response Training,’ to serve the poor who are in most need of critical healthcare.”

“If the Philippine government was truly concerned with the welfare of the Filipino people, especially in light of the recent devastation caused by natural disasters such as Ondoy and Pepeng, it would be supporting, not arresting, health professionals who are trained in emergency response and who seek to serve communities,” adds Julia Camagong, NAFCON Vice President of Programs.

Karapatan Recommended action endorsed by NAFCON-US:
Send letters, emails or fax messages calling for:

1. The immediate release of the health workers who are illegally arrested and illegally detained at Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal.

2. The government to ensure the safety of the victims and that they are not harmed; their belongings be returned immediately to them.

3. The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into raid and illegal arrest of the health workers conducting health skills training in Morong, Rizal.

4. The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”

5. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.

You may send your communications to:
H.E.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
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
Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph

Gen. Avelino Razon, Ret. PNP
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
osec@opapp.gov.ph

Norberto Gonzales
Secretary, Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,
E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
Email: osnd@philonline.com

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

Atty. Leila De Lima
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: chr.delima@yahoo.com

GMA STOP THE ILLEGAL ABDUCTION AND DETENTION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS!

JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS UNDER THE ARROYO REGIME!

NO TO US MILITARY AID THAT SUPPORTS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS

February 8, 2010 | Categories: Updates | Leave A Comment »