‘Long wait for justice is finally coming to light’ – kin of drug-related killings
“I was so elated that I could barely sleep. I’m thinking that ‘this is it!’ Our long wait for justice is finally coming to light.”
Anne Marxze D. Umil was Bulatlat’s first intern turned into its investigative reporter. She takes most things seriously, except praises about her. Sometimes, she cracks jokes that make everyone in the newsroom giggly.
Anne Marxze D. Umil was Bulatlat’s first intern turned into its investigative reporter. She takes most things seriously, except praises about her. Sometimes, she cracks jokes that make everyone in the newsroom giggly.
“I was so elated that I could barely sleep. I’m thinking that ‘this is it!’ Our long wait for justice is finally coming to light.”
“...[t]here is a reasonable basis to believe that the crime against humanity of murder has been committed on the territory of the Philippines between 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the Government of Philippines ‘war on drugs’ campaign.”
“This bike rally sends a clear and colorful message to the public that any person, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE), must not be subjected to any form of discrimination and violence.”
Gomez’s arrest is a “serious attack to the Church, grave insult to the Christian faith and sacrilegious assault against our God.”
Zenaida Soriano, Amihan national chairperson, denounced the freeze order saying that it was arbitrary and they were not given a chance to answer the allegations against them.
“Despite the government's unpreparedness for a safe return to school in this pandemic, the government continues to undermine the state of education by intensifying militarization in indigenous communities and schools."
Vicente Ladlad's wife, Fides said that his accounts are not from the money laundering or terrorism financing but resulted from Republic Act No. 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013.
"This award also comes at a crucial time, against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating human rights crisis and alarming democratic backsliding in the Philippines, and this award is a recognition of the tremendous challenges we currently face amid worsening attacks on human rights defenders, police brutality, militarization, and the narrowing of civic and democratic spaces in the country."
Contrary to the news reports that there are only three casualties, investigation by the group revealed that there were actually four. The fourth turned out to be Cometa, who, according to the witnesses, was wounded.
In a statement, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, said the recent killings should be investigated in the context of previous incidents of killings and attacks against other NDFP peace consultants.
“Our teachers and our learners alike suffered the effects of state abandonment even as we ourselves are grappling with the raging pandemic and economic crisis. How long will the DepEd and the Duterte regime turn a blind eye to the needs of the education sector?"
“The victims live in constant fear for their lives, liberty and security. Adding insult to injury, even their families suffer the same. They deliberately singled out as the public is conditioned that they must have done something wrong to justify an extrajudicial punishment."
Ironically, cases against red-tagged individuals are being dismissed by government courts for lack of probable cause or because of insufficient evidence. Motions to quash search warrants were also granted by the courts, declaring whatever so-called evidence the police have acquired during the search as inadmissible.
“Simply put, the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) had no solid, intelligent basis before launching massive operations in a rural sitio in Nasugbu, Batangas in April 2020."
"ATC's terrorist designation is just another nefarious device concocted by those who reckon they can and must go around or against the Constitution and the rules of law, fair play and common decency to silence those who speak and clamor for change.”
“How can the ATC, three years hence, claim to have ‘verified and validated information’ against these peace consultants when it has already been proven in court that there is none? The ATC regurgitating false assertions has been a most dangerous weapon especially in the heat of oral arguments on the terror law.”
“The victory of the Bakwit School 7 is a testament to the truth and the legitimacy of the calls of the Lumad and the existence of the Bakwit School. This victory only proves that the NTF-ELCAC only peddles lies and that their stories bear no truth nor any weight when it comes to the fight for social justice."
It also revealed that the red-tagging of lawyers and judges under the present administration has led to the killing of more lawyers and judges at 54 compared to that during the term of Arroyo where 45 lawyers and judges were killed in the line of work.
"This function is within the High Court’s judicial duties to protect the right to life and health of those in government custody. They include the political prisoners like Joseph Canlas who had various comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension but was never tested for COVID-19 until he was brought to the jail’s quarantine section.”
“A remorseless human rights violator like him doesn’t deserve a peaceful retirement. We will continue to fight impunity by working to make sure that active or retired generals who abuse their power like Sinas are put behind bars."
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