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By MARYA SALAMAT
“The Aquino government is very active and very swift in filing trumped-up charges against labor leaders and activists but it fails to attain justice for victims of human-rights violations.” – KMU
By RONALYN V. OLEA
The new law, the first of its kind in Asia, imposes a punishment of life imprisonment on those directly involved in the crime of enforced disappearance as well as on superior officers who order or are otherwise implicated in a disappearance.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“From the evidence that we have gathered from the hearing and also from the documents we were able to get, I believe that he [Brig. Gen. Eduardo Año] has a direct hand in the abduction of my son.”
By MARYA SALAMAT
The state witness revealed that the killing of labor leader Rolando Olalia and his companion Leonor Alay-ay was meant to ignite protests that would be used by the RAM to launch a coup d'état.
By MARYA SALAMAT
John Doe arrest warrants are deemed by human rights lawyers as highly irregular because it does not contain the names of the alleged perpetrators and are used to arrest just about anybody.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“The awards are intended to keep alive the excellent and principled journalism (Chit) Simbulan had always engaged in." – Ellen Tordesillas, veteran journalist and president of Vera Files
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO and ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Two years have passed and yet President Aquino's promise of rendering justice is far from being a reality. Worse, impunity still reigns as rights violations pile up as the government orders the massive deployment of troops not only to run after the NPA but also to protect the operations and profits of big foreign and local corporations.
On Human Rights Day, rights groups slam Aquino government for violations
Farmers march against militarization, terror in their communities
Typhoon Pablo and large-scale mining wreak havoc in Mindanao - progressive group
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“Is this how Aquino wants to celebrate Human Rights Day, with more impunity towards our beleaguered environment defenders?”– Fr. Oliver Castor, spokesperson of Task Force-Justice for Environment Defenders
By MARYA SALAMAT
Progressive groups in Mindanao describe the devastation caused by typhoon Pablo as “an environmental apocalypse not simply caused by nature’s wrath but by the Aquino government continuing puppetry to foreign mining interests and the government’s greed and corruption in general.”
Read also: DENR hand in degrading environment, human rights as dirty as the military’s – IP and green groups
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO and SIDLANGAN NATIVIDAD
They could have been paralyzed by depression and fear after losing their husbands suddenly and violently. But they chose to trek the dangerous road of the struggle for justice and for the defense of their land, livelihood and life.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“How could they participate in the alleged ambush when they were here with us in Manila preparing for the May 1 rally? Clearly, the charges are fabricated.” – Courage
By MARYA SALAMAT
Failing to strip off Sgt. Medardo Dumlao Baretto’s status as state witness, defense lawyer Lorna Kapunan’s questioning this week proceeded to probe and try to cast doubt on his memory, motives, and the truthfulness or consistency of his sworn statement and testimony in court.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Three women from different tribes in Mindanao have come to Manila to share their stories with the hope that the national government will heed their calls.
By MARYA SALAMAT
They bring with them an urgent call as their communities continue to face the threats of large-scale mining and militarization.
By INA ALLECO SILVERIO
“This list is essentially telling state security forces that the policy of neutralizing and eliminating activists and communists remain.” – Bayan Muna
By RONALYN V. OLEA
A foreign delegate believes that President Aquino’s silence [on cases of human rights violations] bears the imprint of consent for these violations. “Not only has he condoned impunity, he has likewise perpetuated it by not delivering justice for any of the 114 victims of extrajudicial killings under his administration.”
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Political prisoners from all over the country commemorated the International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, December 3, by a simultaneous reading of a poem about the longing for freedom.
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
"Governments look at remittances as a tool for development and a means to repay global debt. They have actually put a positive spin on massive forced migration and commodification of workers. They have the gall to call it a 'tool for development' when it fact it results in the decimation and break-up of families, the exploitation of millions of workers and the uneven distribution of wealth and power in the world." – Irene Fernandez, migrants' rights activist
By MARYA SALAMAT
“The best way to pay tribute to Bonifacio is to carry on with his struggle for national independence and genuine democracy. Our protests this Nov. 30 form part of that struggle.” – KMU
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO and RONALYN V. OLEA
Do mining companies really bring about development? Do they generate sufficient employment to uplift the people from poverty? Do they practice ‘responsible mining,’ as they claim to be doing, to protect the environment? These are the very same questions the International Fact-Finding and Environmental Mission did seek to answer as the team members visited and conducted dialogues in the northern and southern parts of Negros Occidental.
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