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 INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares is calling for the removal of fiscals and judges who help elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines file “fake charges” against leaders of progressive party-lists and human rights advocates. Colmenares also hailed the move of Makabayan Coalition leader in…
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is using the legal system to harass leaders of an indigenous people’s organization in Surigao del Sur. According to a report from the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) in the Northern Mindanao Region (NMR), 37 indigenous members and leaders of the…
By RONALYN V. OLEA
When then United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston pointed to the filing of charges against political activists by the Interagency Legal Assistance Group (IALAG) as violative of human rights, the previous Arroyo administration dismantled it. But even without the IALAG, the filing of harassment charges against political activists continues, even under the current Aquino government.
“He is a law-abiding citizen. He has done nothing wrong. He does not deserve to be treated like this. He should be released immediately and unconditionally.” This was the statement of Windel Bolinget of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), a colleague of Jose “Joe” Cawiding who was arrested by police on Oct. 1 for allegedly…