P-Noy fails, so far - Karapatan

CEBU, Philippines - Karapatan-Central Visayas started its week-long 62nd International Commemoration of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights by presenting its Human Rights report on the region yesterday.

Dennis Abarrientos, Secretary-General of KCV, said the report showed how President Benigno Aquino III who promised to solve extra-judicial killings in the country “is treading former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s path.”

The report reminded various organizations of Aquino’s promise not only to identify those involved in extrajudicial killings, but to actually send them to jail.

Abarrientos said their hopes soared when Arroyo’s “reign of terror,” heralded by her infamous ‘Oplan Bantay Laya’ in 2001, came to an end with Aquino becoming the president, but this reportedly is not the case.

“But alas, hopes and expectations were misplaced. Justice not only remains an elusive quest for the victims and their families, but also there will be no reprieve from killings, abductions and other human rights violations,” KCV’s report reads.

Karapatan recorded at least 1,206 victims of political killings and human rights violations during Arroyo’s term. Of the 47 documented cases of harassment in Region 7 during the May 2010 elections, 29 were committed in Cebu.

Abarrientos said political prisoners across the region will join the national solidarity fast for the release of all political prisoners including the Morong 43 on Dec. 6 to 9.

A Visayas-wide human rights summit will also be held on Cebu on Dec. 7, as well as a general protest action for the demilitarization of the Visayas and justice to victims of political killings.

“Let us take inspiration from the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights so not to allow an undeclared military rule to lord over us with impunity,” Karapatan said. (FREEMAN)