An independent regional non-government organization said the Philippine government lacks the political will to solve the human rights problems of the country.
Category: Top Stories
Rally Organizers to Mount Bigger Mobilizations Against Cha-Cha
“The protests could grow bigger and bigger if Arroyo and her allies ignore the message of the Charter change opponents and continue to push for their scheme,” Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño.
OBL II Burdens Children – NGO report
The Arroyo government is the worst violator of children’s rights, as its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya II had put children directly in harm’s way, a non-government organization said in a report.
Minority Solons: House Justice Panel Ignored Facts of Impeach Rap
Leaders of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives have criticized their colleagues in the majority for ignoring the facts related to the fourth impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Still Fighting for the Land They Till
They came from different places. One farmers’ group tries to eke out a living farming the land they have been tilling in Bukidnon in Mindanao, and the other farmers’ group is in Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon. They may be miles apart, but their stories are the same.
UN Castigates Philippine Gov’t on Marcellana-Gumanoy Case
In February 2007, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudical, Summary and Arbitrary Killings Philip Alston pointed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the culprit behind the spate of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Recently, the United National Human Rights Committee concluded that the Philippine government violated the rights of Eden Marcellana, then secretary general of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, and Eddie Gumanoy, former secretary general of peasant group Kasama-TK, who were victims of extrajudicial killings in 2003.
Catholic Bishop Calls on IPs to Use Bayanihan to Counter Mining, Globalization
Comparing mining companies and globalization to Goliath and to sharks, Bishop Jose R. Manguiran of Dipolog enjoined indigenous peoples, who he said are like David and dolphins, to practice bayanihan to fight for their rights.
Foreign Lawyers, Judges See No Visible Results in Gov’t Measures to Address Killings
An independent international mission comprised of lawyers and judges said that while the Philippine government claims to have taken firm measures to address the problem of extrajudicial killings, including the establishment of various Task Forces, there have been no visible results.
JdV Endorsement Could Boost Impeach Rap – Satur
‘He knows GMA’s involvement because he was there’
Will the endorsement by former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. boost the chances of this year’s impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? Deputy House Minority Leader and Bayan Muna (People First) Rep. Satur Ocampo, one of the original endorsers of the complaint together with fellow Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Liza Maza, believes so.
Women Migrants Debunk Empowerment Myth, Vow to Continue Struggle for Rights
Jobs available to women are “mere extension of stereotype women roles as homemakers and as sex objects.” These are, in essence, gender-oppressive roles made to appear as formal work placing women in situations open to abuse and exploitation.
We are Nearing ‘Boundary Between War and Peace’ – MILF Chief Negotiator
“We are nearing the boundary between war and peace.” This is how Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), assesses the status of the armed conflict in Mindanao.