SC chief scores rights violations

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Reynato Puno lamented yesterday the continued suppression of human rights in the country, which he said undermines the nation’s independence.

Puno, the keynote speaker at the 110th Independence Day celebration rites at the Andres Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, said the government has failed to stop unexplained killings and forced disappearances of activists.

He said that political, economic and civil rights are largely being suppressed in the country.

“Ang kalayaan ay di pa natin lubos na natatamo (Our freedom has not been won completely). It can’t be denied that extralegal killings and forced disappearances are still happening (in the country). Most of the victims oppose the existing ideology in the society, government critics and even journalists,” said Puno.

He said the human rights organizations have criticized the country for the unjust killings.

“We have gone to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to explain what our government has been doing. The political scenario in the country is not good in the eyes of many people,” Puno said.

Puno also criticized the inefficient electoral system.

“Our elections have often become the cause of strife, division and killings among ourselves. The people can no longer put in power the candidates they have voted for,” said Puno, without elaborating.

He said that after the elections many defeated candidates go out on the streets to protest alleged cheating in the polls.

Puno said that the people’s socio-economic rights are also undermined.

He said the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that prices of basic commodities rose from 12 percent in April this year to 14.3 percent this month.

The price of rice increased by 31.7 percent within the last five months.

He said the Development Bank of the Philippines has estimated that for every 10 percent increase in the price of food in the country some 2.3 million Filipinos get even poorer.

He said that in 2006, the National Statistics Coordinating Board declared that over 4.7 million families have become poor.

He said roughly 24.7 million Filipinos have become subsistence poor or the so-called “isang kahig, isang tuka (hand to mouth existence).”

Puno said that after foreign political colonizers left the country, they were replaced by economic colonizers.

“These foreign countries are rich. They dominate us. They give us loans but these loans come at a heavy price (that) we are forced to buy their products, even if these are detrimental to our local products,” said Puno.

He said government incentives given to foreign investors are sometimes even more than what we give to local traders.

Puno said that not only foreigners abuse our rights but also local businessmen who refuse to pay proper taxes.

“We still face a long, protracted war against foreign colonizers, including our elitist countrymen. The powerful and the rich continue to suppress our rights. But we know that we who fight these abuses will win in God’s own good time,” he said.

In a tribute to Andres Bonifacio, Puno said the founder of the revolutionary group Katipunan belonged to the poor masses and did not allow himself to be put down by a rich foreign power.