Amnesty International Philippines (AIPh) launched their October 14 report titled “I Turned My Fear Into Courage,” summing up how the authorities have used social media, Facebook in significant cases, to stifle dissent through red-tagging. They dubbed Facebook as a “cheap and effective” way for the government to harass and intimidate critics.
Continuing killings, repression, and the prevailing impunity in the Philippines are among the key findings reported by human rights group Amnesty International (AI)-Philippines.
“While there has been no offered evidence of any such links, Philippine officials’ increasing penchant for such “red-tagging” is reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous. When amplified by no less than the highest ranking enforcers of government and the law they inevitably compromise any guarantees of due process.”
The Anti-Terrorism Act violates international standards on human rights and countering-terrorism with its vague and overboard definitions of “terrorism” as well as the excessive powers it grants to the Executive branch of the government.
They urged the Philippine authorities “to carry out an immediate, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into Alvarez’s murder, to identify all those responsible, bring them before an independent tribunal, and sanction them as provided by the law.”
“We call on all member states of the UN Human Rights Council to be seized of the seriousness of the human rights situation in the Philippines and to adopt all the recommendations in your June 30 report on the human rights situation in the Philippines,” ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy said in his letter to Bachelet.
President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his displeasure over the continuing attention being paid by various groups and organizations such as Amnesty International and other human rights groups and the United Nations, to the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country, particularly those identified with the regime’s murderous “war” on drugs. Thirty-nine countries have also signed a…
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – More groups added their voices to the call for the release of detained artist Ericson Acosta. Acosta, 39, was arrested on Feb. 13 last year by elements of the 34th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army in San Jorge, Samar. He is charged with illegal possession of…
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“After a year and a half in office, President Aquino should be delivering on his promise to end impunity for rights abuses.” – Human Rights Watch
“I think that the Philippine government knows what to do [but] we don’t see the will to stop the culture of impunity.” – Amnesty International
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Human Rights Watch noted that while the public rhetoric of senior military officers has changed somewhat since Aquino took office, the change in language “has not yet been reflected in action.”
Ni ROLAND B. TOLENTINO KULTURANG POPULAR KULTURA Bulatlat Sa US, ang mga kababaihang whistleblower na sina Cynthia Cooper ng Worldcom, Sherron Watkins ng Enron, at Coleen Rowley ng FBI ay binansagan ng Time Magazine bilang “Persons of the Year” ng 2002. Inilantad nina Cooper at Watkins ang kabalastugang nagaganap sa paglilimas ng yaman ng kompanya…