Farmer activists who are charged with multiple murder charges over the infamous Hilongos mass grave are seeking the dismissal of the cases, saying that the evidence presented against them were insufficient and fabricated.
“Activists have been killed over the last year, both by the security forces and by unknown individuals. In many instances, activists were killed after being red-tagged. In virtually none of the cases has anyone been held accountable for the killings.”
“Running for the highest position in the land is one of the Marcoses’ plan to rehabilitate their political stature and promote historical lies.”
“We reject everything that is destructive to the country. We reject those who act as dictators, the son of the dictator, and the lackeys of dictators. ”
Bulatlat compiled short accounts of consultants and staff of the Negotiating Panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, who were arrested and jailed during the dark years of the dictatorship but are now incarcerated for their continuing fight for a genuinely free country.
Following the controversial online interview of the son and namesake of the late dictator, Bulatlat revisited the YouTube vlog of former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his apparent attempts of whitewashing the horrors of martial law.
Today, the 49th year since the imposition of the Marcos dictator, Bulatlat is providing facts and context to these claims.
Another Philippine court acquitted a peace consultant over trumped-up charges stemming from the infamous “search warrant factory” that led to the arrests of scores of activists and human rights workers.
Juan Macababbad handled several cases, particularly in defense of indigenous peoples and protection of the environment.
To date, there are 31 unionists who remain in detention for trumped-up charges and 56 trade unionists extrajudicially killed in the country.
“It is imperative that the Council heed the Filipino people’s call to conduct a probe on the rights violation under the Duterte administration amid impunity and failure of domestic mechanisms to provide redress to victims and hold perpetrators accountable.”
A group of human rights lawyers in the Philippines said that the “overwhelming support” that the International Criminal Court received from approximately 1,530 individual victims and 1,050 families who fell victims of the government’s “war on drugs” may lead to a formal investigation.