Victim-blaming

Also on Aug. 17, families of the victims lambasted Arroyo’s allies in the House for resorting to victim-blaming in order to justify the junking of the impeachment complaint.

“All they said was that complainants were at fault for filing the complaint and they even shielded Arroyo for abetting human rights violations, the substance of the complaint being lodged against her. We did not even get a hearing,” said Evangeline Hernandez, mother of slain human rights worker Benjaline and one of the citizen complainants.

Relatives of victims and KARAPATAN said the battle is far from over and they will continue to cry out for justice and campaign against the Macapagal-Arroyo government’s “terrorism.”

At the fifth monthly gathering of families, friends and colleagues of victims of killings and disappearances in Quezon City, Enriquez said, “Ultimately, our people will make this government accountable by invoking their right to rise up against the tyrant that is Gloria Arroyo, just like what they did to the hated dictator Marcos.”

The gathering was held at the launching of an internationally-released book, “Stop the Killings in the Philippines.” Bulatlat

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