Fil-Cans form task force on RP human rights

Fil-Cans form task force on RP human rights

TORONTO–The B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines spearheaded the launching of the Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights (PCTFHR) on October 14, 2006 at St. Vladimir Institute in Toronto. The task force and the Fact-Finding Mission aims to raise public awareness of the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines calling for support from Canadian parliamentarians, media, academics, church people, trade unionists and human rights activists.

Among those who attended were: SIKLAB, Philippine Women Centre of Ontario, National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada, Filipino Canada Youth Alliance, Philippine Women Centre of Montreal, Lawyer?s Rights Watch Canada, the Community Alliance for Social Justice and Philippines Monitor.

According to Luningning Alcuitas, lawyer and member of BCCHRD, Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada and Philippines Monitor, “the call has encouraged a number of people who came from 5 major cities in Canada and I am happy with the response?

Apart from tapping support from Filipino Canadians, the task force also aims to seek the support of the Canadian government. Adding, she said, “we have a representative in each city that represents a broad spectrum of Canadian society . Through their concerted efforts and through the help of the Canadian government, we hope to stop these killings in the Philippines. One of the ways is for the Canadian government to suspend its bilateral trade agreements with the Philippines. Philippines is among the seven countries that are recipients of these bilateral ties.”

Cecilia Diocson, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada is heading the PCTFHR Fact Finding Mission that is set on November 14-23, 2006. “We want to go to the Philippines and evaluate the human rights situation in the Philippines,” Diocson explained. “I hope to get more facts through this fact-finding mission. We also need to look at the peace process in the Philippines. The killings in the Philippines will continue unabated if no one will step forward to stop it.”
The task force, according to Alcuitas has already enlisted the participation of different sectors in the community including lawyers, community organizers, human rights advocates and other prominent personalities.

During the launching, guests and participants had the opportunity to watch a video presentation of the different atrocities committed under the current administration of President Gloria Arroyo. Based on KARAPATAN or Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights documentation, there had been 750 victims of extra judicial killings. More than 180 have been forcibly disappeared while more than 200 have survived assassination attempts. Most of the victims are trade unionists, church people, journalists, lawyers, farmers, women, students and others actively opposing the Arroyo regime’s undemocratic and anti-people policies.

Plans are also underway for the launching of the Second Permanent People’s Tribunal on the Philippines to be held in the spring of 2007 in Hague, Netherlands.