By RONALYN V. OLEA
“If the Ombudsman would not fear the military, I would get justice not only for myself but for the other victims of Palparan and his kind.” – Raymond Manalo, torture victim
After more than 3 years, Ombudsman acts on torture case
Tags: Raymond Manalo
Witnesses to abduction of 2 UP students ready to confront Palparan, other accused
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – Two vital witnesses to the enforced disappearance of two University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan are eager to face the alleged perpetrators of the crime. During the Sept. 14 hearing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel scheduled a clarificatory hearing this Sept. 23.…
Rights violations victims file urgent motion before new Ombudsman
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“However long this takes, we will never give up. What is important is we get justice for what was done to us. We urge newly-appointed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to act on the cases we filed that aim to seek justice for victims of human rights violations.”
– Raymond Manalo, victim of torture and arbitrary detention
Risking their lives for truth, justice
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – It has been five years but Wilfredo Ramos could still remember the face of one of those who took Karen Empeño, Sherlyn Cadapan and Manuel Merino on June 26, 2006. During the second hearing of the preliminary investigation on the criminal complaint filed by the mothers of the…
Rights groups criticize Aquino gov’t for continuing violations, failure to act on calls for justice
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“The Aquino administration has been contented in being a passive spectator, leaving the victims, relatives, human rights defenders and their lawyers on their own.” – National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
SC: Military officials liable for abduction of UP students
By RONALYN V. OLEA
“It’s good news but it [the decision] took so long. Unfortunately, the decisions of the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court have not resulted in the surfacing of the disappeared.” – Mrs. Concepcion Empeño, mother of missing UP student Karen Empeño
At Last, Philippines Now Has Law Against Torture
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Human-rights advocate welcome the signing into law of Republic Act 9745, which penalizes acts of torture in the Philippines. The challenge now, they say, is for the Arroyo administration to effectively implement it, given its sordid human-rights record.
For Families of Desaparecidos, Hope Springs Eternal
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The International Day of the Disappeared on Aug. 30 was marked in the Philippines with a ringing of the bells to honor those taken by the regime — a warning to the government that the families left behind by these desaparecidos “are watching” to make sure that, soon, “we will get the justice we deserve.” View slideshow
Hopes Are High for Passage of Law Criminalizing Torture by Philippine Forces
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Under the bill, no justification can be offered that would allow torture and other inhuman punishments. Those who torture will be penalized as principals, as well as their superiors in the military, police or law enforcement establishments who ordered it.
In Outburst Vs Palparan, Torture Victim Vents Frustration Over Continuing Injustice
When Raymond Manalo suddenly stood up and shouted invectives at former general and now congressman Jovito Palparan during a hearing yesterday at the Commission on Human Rights, he was only venting his frustration that the man he had accused of abducting him and torturing him for 18 long months has not been punished.
Regime Insists Roxas Torture Fabricated; Victim Might Testify in Philippines
The Office of the Solicitor General told the Court of Appeals that the abduction and torture of Melissa Roxas are nothing but mere fabrications to embarrass the government. Her recent press conference in Los Angeles, it says, was part of the plot. The victim’s lawyers and supporters, however, say the government is just trying to evade responsibility.