The Philippine Reporter
Classifieds
Events
×
×
  • December 09, 2011 , 11:38am

Statement on Maguindanao Massacre

Statement on Maguindanao Massacre

23 November 2011

President Benigno S. Aquino III
Malacañang Palace
J.P. Laurel St. San Miguel,
Manila, 1005 Philippines

Dear President Aquino,

We, the undersigned, are extremely alarmed about the increasing cases of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings that continue unabated under your administration. To date, 54 cases of extrajudicial killings have happened since you became President in June 2010.

In your campaign, you capitalized on commitments to promote and protect human rights, and emphasized the importance of ending extrajudicial killings. But the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, abductions, and other human rights violations directed against those who are critical of the government walk freely and with impunity under your watch. The latest of these victims is Fr. Fausto Tentorio, an Italian Catholic missionary priest of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Mission (PIME), who was brutally killed on October 17, 2011 in North Cotabato, Mindanao. He had dedicated his life to upholding the rights of the indigenous people and to fighting big foreign and corporate mining in their lands.

It has been two years since the infamous Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao, Southern Philippines where 58 people were summarily killed, 32 of them journalists. No one has been punished and the warlords continue to hold power in the area.

We strongly urge you, Mr. President, to investigate, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of and accessories to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations. These should include the high government officials, military and police officers who provided policy direction and political justification, praised and promoted the notorious military and police officers implicated, provided systematic cover-up and gave all-out support to the government’s counterinsurgency operations. We also urge you to continue the prosecution of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cohorts, not only for the crime of electoral sabotage, but also for other heinous crimes she committed against the Filipino people in planning and implementing Operation Plan Bantay Laya, which effectively gave a carte blanche to the more than one thousand extrajudicial killings under her administration. While the wheels of justice have started to turn, the government should now look into its continuous proceedings so the people get the justice they deserve.

We further urge you to:

1) Stop Operation Plan Bayanihan, which has declared all-out war against the people.  Disband all militia forces like the Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU), Special Civilian Armed Auxilliary (SCAA) and other paramilitary formations used to protect the interests of despotic landlords and transnational and other mining corporations that plunder our forests and destroy the environment.

2) Stop the military’s vilification campaign against unarmed and legal activists and progressive organizations, specifically linking them to the New People’s Army, making them vulnerable to intimidation, harassment and violence.

3) Take summary action against military commanders whose scope of responsibility include areas where extrajudicial killings take place and against police superintendents who make no headway in investigating these killings and other gross human rights violations (HRVs).

4) Stop the widespread practice of arresting, detaining and convicting leaders and members oflegal progressive organizations for alleged criminal offenses based on fabricated charges and evidence. Release all political prisoners detained on false charges.

 Sincerely yours,

(Partial list of Signatures from Philippine Press Club-Ontario)

1. Mogi Mogado
2. Marlene Mogado
3. Ruben Cusipag
4. Tess Cusipag
5. Bert de Lara
6. Au de Lara
7. Rolando Cabrera
8. Aida D’Orazio
9. Joy Sarmiento
10. Warren D’Aoust
11. Jess Cabrias
12. Ricardo Caluen
13. Joaquin T. Taduran, Jr.
14. Eugenio Deocareza
15. Romeo Ayson Zetazate
16. Bernardo Orbeso
17. Manuel Papa
18. Rosalinda Tijam
19. Jess M. Carlos
20. Joe Damasco
21. Rodel Ramos
22. Jonathan Canchela
23. Hermie Garcia
24. Mila Astorga-Garcia
25. Imelda O. Suzara
26. Honorio I. Melgarejo

Comments (1)

  • Most Thumbs Up
  • Newest
  • Most commented
  • Recently active
  1. Poor people need help and opportunities to improve their lives. The Government and the Church should be responsible and use their power to do that. The basic necessities: food, housing, education, jobs, health, transportation, etc. are funded by taxes in rich countries thus, the Government and Church are responsible and these countries are blessed with prosperity.
    Reply
      Thumb up 0 : 0 Thumb down
    ~Imelda Ortega Suzara
    12yrs ago
    X
  1. Poor people need help and opportunities to improve their lives. The Government and the Church should be responsible and use their power to do that. The basic necessities: food, housing, education, jobs, health, transportation, etc. are funded by taxes in rich countries thus, the Government and Church are responsible and these countries are blessed with prosperity.
    Reply
      Thumb up 0 : 0 Thumb down
    ~Imelda Ortega Suzara
    12yrs ago
    X
  1. Poor people need help and opportunities to improve their lives. The Government and the Church should be responsible and use their power to do that. The basic necessities: food, housing, education, jobs, health, transportation, etc. are funded by taxes in rich countries thus, the Government and Church are responsible and these countries are blessed with prosperity.
    Reply
      Thumb up 0 : 0 Thumb down
    ~Imelda Ortega Suzara
    12yrs ago
    X
  1. Poor people need help and opportunities to improve their lives. The Government and the Church should be responsible and use their power to do that. The basic necessities: food, housing, education, jobs, health, transportation, etc. are funded by taxes in rich countries thus, the Government and Church are responsible and these countries are blessed with prosperity.
    Reply
      Thumb up 0 : 0 Thumb down
    ~Imelda Ortega Suzara
    12yrs ago
    X
Powered by Software4publishers.com