READER’S VIEWS: Rights victims and kin to seek out Pope Francis

We join the faithful Christians in raising the voice of the oppressed, especially the kin of the victims extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance, the political prisoners and other victims of human rights violations; and their desire for justice and peace in the country. We hope His Holiness Pope Francis may hear and seek them out during his visit in January.

Palabay and Nikki Gamara, daughter of detained peace consultant Renante Gamara, gave testimonies on the human rights situation in the country before the religious and laity during the launch of Giving Voice to the Cry of the Poor: In Celebration of Love for the Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis. The forum is also the launching of a campaign that seeks to draw attention to the issues of the poor Filipino people "in the hope that Pope Francis will make a pronouncement on them."

We hope His Holiness would also look into the appalling and inhuman situation of political prisoners, especially the sick, the elderly, the women. The 490 political prisoners speak of the kind of democracy the country has, as the government continues to criminalize political acts. This is true for the 14 detained peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines who are engaged in the peace negotiations with the government.

During the 2012 United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) when UN member States reviewed the Philippine government's human rights record, among the Holy See's recommendations to the GPH were "to work towards the complete elimination of torture and extra judicial killings and to intensify efforts to carry out the prosecution of such crimes."

Such recommendation, and Pope Francis' own statements give human rights victims and their families a starting point for dialogue.

Karapatan and other human rights groups like the Desaparecidos, Selda and Hustisya are set to hold various activities starting November such as letter writing to the Pope, fasting in various jails, and sympathy fasts in centers that will be set up prior to the Pope's visit.

Cristina "Tinay" Palabay,

Secretary General

Karapatan