64th Int’l Human Rights Day commemorated

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – More than 2,000 people from the different sectors gathered on Monday (Dec 10) at the Iloilo Capitol grounds where they held protest rallies to commemorate the 64th International Human Rights Day.

Headed by the human rights advocates group Panay Alliance – Karapatan, the participants, consisting of students and youths, religious sector, workers, women, peasants, teachers and health workers assembled in four areas (in front of the city and marched along the main streets.

The protests rally was focused on the issue of impunity in human rights violations allegedly committed by state agents, which the protesters claimed were never given justice so far.

Reylan Vergara, of Panay Alliance-Karapatan, said that under the present regime of Pres. Benigno Aquino III there were 129 extra-judicial killings and 12 enforced disappearances in the country, as of October 31 this year, and these have not been remedied yet, perpetuating the culture of impunity.

Vergara cited the case of Fernando Baldomero, the first extra-judicial killing under Aquino III that has not been given justice to this day. He also noted the killing of anti-mining activists, a woman and her daughter in Nueva Vizcaya and a priest and a mother and her children in Mindanao.

Vergara further criticized the president’s recent appointment of Brig. Gen. Eduardo Año, to the top post in the intelligence service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, describing this as another bad omen that impunity is here to stay. Año was allegedly linked to the disappearance of Jonas Burgos in 2007, he added.

Hope Hervilla of Bayan Panay, for her part, said the burning economic and social issues that inflict harm on the life of the people, especially the poor are well within the scope of human rights.

“It is unfortunate that the Aquino government is merely perpetuating the state economic policies of the past regimes,” she said, citing the enforced disappearances of Maria Luisa Dominado and Nilo Arado and the killing of Rodelyn Aguirre in Tacayan, Tapaz, Capiz, which were never given justice so far.

“In all indications, things are going worse in the Aquino II regime,” said Hervilla, as she exhorted the people to be vigilant, strengthen unity and raise a loud voice against impunity and the anti-people policies of the regime. —(FREEMAN)