Dec. 08, 2023
DAVAO TODAY

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The date November 23, when Philippine government representatives and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) signed a joint statement for the possible resumption of peace talks, is significant, says a peace and human rights observer.

It was also November 23, six years ago, that former President Rodrigo Duterte terminated peace talks through Proclamation 360 and launched a “whole-of-nation” approach that attacked peace negotiators and activists alike.

Peter Murphy, chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), said that the Philippine government re-opening possible talks with the NDFP as “a rejection of the (Ferdinand) Marcos Jr predecessor Duterte’s termination of peace talks …on the same day”.

Various peace groups also welcomed the announcement made on November 28 that the Marcos Jr administration and NDF are working to resume peace talks after six years.

Government representatives met with NDFP peace negotiators in Oslo, Norway, and signed a joint statement on November 23 to sign a joint communique to signify the opening of talks.

“Cognizant of the serious socioeconomic and environmental issues, and the foreign security threats facing the country, the parties recognize the need to unite as a nation in order to urgently address these challenges and resolve the reasons for the armed conflict,” the communique said.

The statement was signed by the Special Assistant to the President Sec. Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. on behalf of the GRP with Presidential Adviser on Peace and Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and former Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista as witnesses.

NDFP National Executive Council member Luis Jalandoni signed together with NDFP Negotiating Panel interim chairperson Julieta de Lima and member Coni Ledesma.

The communique acknowledges Bautista for initiating informal talks in the past years with the late NDFP chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison.

Calls for peace ‘remain strong’

Murphy said the resumption of talks is a validation of the people’s call for a solution to peace beyond counter-insurgency measures.

“The joint statement is the result of the Filipino people’s struggle for a genuine just and lasting peace that remains strong and undeterred despite political setbacks and ongoing counterinsurgency that cannot crush the people’s united will to fight for change,” he said.

The talks were terminated by Duterte in 2017, just when the negotiating parties were about to complete the comprehensive agreement on socio-economic reform.

After that, Duterte launched his “whole-of-nation” policy, which included the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2018. He signed the Anti-Terror Act in 2020.

These policies, rights advocates say, have resulted in red-tagging, arrests, and even murders of peace consultants and activists.

Next steps

The third-party facilitating group, the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform, welcomed the resumption of talks, as they had made this appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as way back in 2022.

“We hope that various barriers to peace will be resolved through dialogue and principled negotiations,” said PEPP co-chair Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro.

Bishop Felixberto Calang of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, who has witnessed the peace talks in Norway, hopes the joint statement be concretized into formal peace talks at the soonest time “towards just and lasting peace and the vision of a country where a united people can live in peace and prosperity.”

Crucial part yet to happen

Both panels have expressed they will work on a framework and talking points to revive the talks.

Former Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate, who has also participated in the talks, welcomed this development as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not mention the peace talks with the communist rebels in his inaugural and State of the Nation Address.

Marcos Jr. had declared an amnesty program for rebels on November 22.

Zarate pointed out that what is crucial is that the two parties will actually talk and lay down what issues should be negotiated during the talks to address the roots of the armed conflict.

“The crucial part is yet to happen. That’s where we have to be watchful. Peace stakeholders should be more active and be watchful of peace saboteurs especially from the Executive branch of the government, which do not want to settle the 50-year armed rebellion,” he said.

Vice President Sara Duterte, chair of NTF-ELCAC has publicly opposed the resumption of talks and warned Marcos Jr that the NDFP “…will use these peace negotiations to betray the government and deceive the public.”

But government officials have signified support for a peaceful resolution to the armed conflict, as members of the House of Representatives made a unified statement supporting Marcos Jr’s “initiatives for peace and national unity”.

“It is a moral imperative, a chance to mend the fissures that have long divided our nation. We are not just negotiating terms; we are weaving the fabric of a peaceful future for every Filipino,” House Speaker Martin Romualdez said. (davaotoday.com)

Statement by The International League of Peoples’ Struggle
October 20, 2023

The International League of Peoples’ Struggle stands united in unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. The Palestinian people are absolutely united in their aspiration to bring an end to the Zionist occupation and to finally live in a free and democratic Palestine.

The actions by the Zionist state are nothing short of a genocide. Since the latest attacks against Gaza began, over 3,000 have been killed in indiscriminate airstrikes, including at least 500 getting medical treatment and taking refuge in a hospital. A complete blockade has deliberately cut Gaza off from food, water, fuel and electricity, leaving the people starving and with a medical system on the brink of collapse with over 10,000 injuries and rising. Palestinian health officials cannot keep up with carrying away the dead bodies that lie unattended throughout the strip, leading to the high risk of a disease outbreak amongst the population. Zionist forces have also demanded that 2.3 million Gazans evacuate to the south to make way for their ground invasion and likely attempt to re-occupy the strip while killing even civilians obeying this order. Airstrikes have even hit the southern border between Gaza and Egypt, the only way for Palestinians to leave the strip if they want, leaving desperately needed humanitarian aid packages sitting at the border unable to enter. In addition to airstrikes, the Zionists have even used internationally banned weapons such as white phosphorus gas. Included is the continued violence by soldiers and armed settlers which has killed over 70 in the past 11 days alone.

Indeed, the Zionist government may have declared war on October 7th, but the previous 75 years of occupation and ethnic cleansing policies since the Nakba have been a never-ending war against the Palestinian people. What we see now is merely a heightened general offensive by Zionism within Palestine itself with continuing aggression against neighboring rival countries.

The Zionists may have openly declared war this time, but that’s only because of the Palestinian resistance’s decision to unite in struggle to take up arms against the US-backed occupation state and its “state-of-the-art” military. For over 75 years, the Palestinian people have used every option they’ve had against the occupation of their land, to no avail. The international governance system has allowed the occupation to become normalized with no end in sight. The people have chosen to take the courageous path of united coordination in armed resistance, bravely tearing up the Zionist-imposed border fence of Gaza and launching coordinated strikes in air, land and sea that inspired peoples’ movements the world over to see a united people taking the military might of an imperialist satellite state off guard.

The Palestinian resistance is a beacon to our resistance! By this, we mean that this strike against a running dog of US imperialism is a move that weakens US imperialism as a whole. The global imperialist system is entering into a new stage of multipolar turmoil, from the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, to the build up to war in Asia-Pacific, to the upsurge of peoples’ movements for national self-determination in Latin America and Africa, and of the continued advance of armed resistance movements in the Philippines, India, Kurdistan, West Papua and of course Palestine. The Palestinian resistance gives inspiration to all people struggling in this context for national and social liberation, and therefore we must support their resistance as if it was our own.

The ILPS supports all resistance fighters regardless of organizational affiliation – now is the time to unite!

We also condemn the attacks on Palestinian and Palestine solidarity organizations around the world on behalf of the US and Zionist forces. We are witnessing an unprecedented outlawing of democratic organizations and bans on free speech when it comes to the Palestinian cause while pro-Zionist slogans are given full support, even within the so-called “democratic” liberal states of North America and Europe. Now is the time to defend peoples’ struggle in all its forms.

The ILPS calls on its members to take actions worldwide outside of Israeli, US and European embassies to condemn the genocide taking place in Gaza. We also encourage members to demand of their own governments official condemnation and to push for the unconditional end of the blockade, assault and genocide of Gaza, as well as the end of all military aid to the Zionist state, especially from the US.

All organizations are encouraged to hold educational sessions on the history and current situation of the US-Zionist occupation and resistance of Palestine. Ongoing actions in support of the Palestinian resistance must be maintained worldwide, especially amidst the crackdown and banning of anti-Zionist organizations. We must assert that activism and resistance of any form is not terrorism.

From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!

Palestinian resistance is a beacon to our resistance!

Long live international Solidarity!

Signed:

Len Cooper

ILPS Chairperson

20 October 2023

Letters (see bottom) from the NUPL and Nieves Lizada, mother of detained activist Mary Joyce Lizada, to new DND Secretary Gilberto Teodoro are refused receipt by AFP personnel in Camp Aguinaldo.

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
PRESS STATEMENT
July 7, 2023

The Philippine government must ensure the strict compliance by its national security forces with domestic and international laws protecting the basic rights of persons deprived of liberty and impose all necessary sanctions on those who ceaselessly and obstinately transgress these obligations.

In the first half of 2023, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) has observed a disturbing pattern of disrespect of the rights of human rights defenders accused of committing terrorism and terrorism-related offenses in Southern Luzon. They have been charged for allegedly providing material support to terrorists under Republic Act No. 11479 for extending assistance to farmworkers, indigenous peoples, and victims of militarization in the region, where there are now 13 pending cases of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses.

Some of these rights defenders are now being kept in military encampments and deprived of their right to be visited by family and assisted by competent and independent counsel. Lawyers of their choice as well as of their families have been prohibited from visiting them in violation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and Republic Act No. 11479 (Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained, or Under Custodial Investigation). NUPL, as counsel for two indigenous peoples’ rights activists who have been detained in Camp Capinpin, had twice been denied access to the said clients.

The lawyers themselves have been demonized and hindered from discharging their professional duties. In one instance, lawyers from SENTRA have been accused before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region IV-A of harassment and intimidation by an army sergeant for trying to pass through a military checkpoint and asserting their clients’ right to counsel during a quick reaction team (QRT). The QRT was intended to gain access to two sugar farmworkers and an elderly person who were abducted by the military in late March in Balayan, Batangas.

Three young rights defenders from Southern Tagalog are also facing trumped-up complaints of terrorism and providing material support to terrorists in retaliation for the humanitarian missions they conducted on the killing of nine year old Kyllene Casao in Taysan, Batangas.

We urge the Philippine government, particularly the Department of National Defense, to enforce within the ranks of its security forces the fulfillment of detainees’ basic rights without distinction or discrimination of any kind as well as to respect the independent exercise of the legal profession, especially by human rights lawyers. We note that brazen violations of these rights and liberties have caused an alarming rise in the occurrence of torture, cruel and inhumane treatment or punishment that led to the forced or fake surrenders of civilians labeled as “rebel returnees.” The misuse of counter-terrorism laws through the filing of trumped-up complaints by military personnel has also suppressed freedoms and constricted civic space.

We further submit the following calls to the newly appointed Secretary of National Defense Atty. Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, which he is empowered to heed and implement in exercising supervision over the Armed Forces of the Philippines under Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) and in his capacity as the alter ego of the Commander-in-Chief:

1. All arrested, detained or imprisoned persons, regardless of status, shall be provided with adequate opportunities, time and facilities to be visited by and to communicate and consult with a lawyer, without delay, interception or censorship and in full confidentiality;
2. Lawyers should be allowed to travel and to consult with their clients freely and should not suffer, or be threatened with prosecution, administrative or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics; and,
3. The military should refrain from filing trumped-up cases of terrorism and terrorism-related offenses against persons engaged in humanitarian activities and legitimate exercises of free speech and expression, such as advocacy, protest, and dissent, as well as from deliberately providing incorrect addresses of respondents while instituting complaints before prosecutorial offices.
4. The military personnel and commanding officers responsible for the foregoing incidents must immediately be investigated and made to account for their human rights violations.
   Activism is not a crime. Stop the attacks!

References:
Atty. Ephraim B. Cortez
NUPL President | +639172092943
Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
NUPL Secretary General | +639174316396

—-

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
PRESS STATEMENT
April 25, 2023

In reaction to our statements calling for accountability for the reported inhumane treatment and brutal killings of our clients Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria, the NTF-ELCAC Legal Cooperation Cluster pointed out in a statement the evidentiary rule that “burden of proof lies on those who assert” and that “the mere fact that “these 2 CTG-affiliated groups are calling for a probe” is “a clear proof that they are lying and can’t prove their perverted claim.”

These types of comments are non-sequitur and unduly place the burden on human right lawyers and defenders to conduct a probe, which the government is bound to do, gather evidence, and initiate prosecution of the reported war crimes.

They also sidestep the fact that the military claimed at the first instance and for the longest time a “waterborne interdiction operation conducted against a hostile motorized boat” that likely included the Tiamzon spouses. It is also a matter of fact that military sources took down their social media posts which reported the Tiamzon spouses as among the casualties of the said operation.

Hence, it was neither the NUPL nor many other concerned entities and individuals who were alarmed with the subsequent contrary report that the Tiamzon spouses and their companions were supposedly captured, tortured, murdered, and desecrated especially because there are abundant precedents and predictable patterns to support a reasonable basis to question the official military account.

Instead of welcoming a legitimate call that seeks to uphold international humanitarian law or the law of armed conflict and settle once and for all these contrary accounts, it is regrettable that colleagues in the legal profession and co-officers of the court – coming from the top officer of the government’s legal arm no less – would need to resort to hateful and gratuitous name-calling against fellow lawyers by casually labeling us as “CTG (communist terrorist group)-affiliated” or “CPP NPA NDF front” sans competent, credible and admissible evidence.

This has unfortunately endangered our lives and impeded the independent discharge of our professional duties, especially since we in NUPL are compelled to handle cases that most of our colleagues in the profession cannot, would not, or do not – for reasons we respect – handle.

While we may differ in views, opinions and positions – just like we do in court – we should all endeavor to keep our professional dealings civil and fair, use only dignified language, avoid low blows, and refrain from promoting an unsafe environment in any setting, as we are mandated to do as lawyers under the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability and out of basic respect for our fellow human beings.
We expect nothing less from our fellow lawyers. Let us keep it fair and square, if you please.#

References:
Atty. Ephraim B. Cortez
NUPL President | +639172092943
Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
NUPL Secretary General | +639174316396

Kodao Productions
April 26, 2023

Human rights lawyers said it is the government that should investigate allegations of war crimes in connection with the reported death of top Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon.

Reacting to a statement made by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) Legal Cooperation Cluster, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said the government is bound to gather evidence and initiate prosecution of those connected with the alleged torture and execution of the Tiamzons.

The NTF ELCAC earlier said that those who made the allegations, including the NUPL bear the burden of proof, adding that the lawyers’ group and human rights group Karapatan are affiliated with the CPP.

The task force added the mere fact that both the NUPL and Karapatan are demanding an investigation are “a clear proof that they are lying and can’t prove their perverted claim.”

The NUPL however reminded the government that it is the State’s duty to conduct investigations on complaints of rights violations.

“These types of comments are non-sequitur (illogical) and unduly place the burden on human rights lawyers and defenders to conduct a probe,” the NUPL said.

The lawyers added that it was the military that first reported the supposed waterborne firefight that may have killed the Tiamzons and eight others in August 2022, but later took down their social media posts on the matter.

Keep it professional

When citizens complain of rights violations, the government should welcome it as part of its commitment to uphold international humanitarian law, the NUPL said.

Instead, government lawyers—colleagues in the legal professions and co-officers of the court, are choosing to resort to “hateful and gratuitous name-calling” by labeling human rights attorneys as “CTG (communist terrorist group)-affiliated or CPP, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front of the Philippines front without competed, credible and admissible evidence,” they said.

The NUPL was reacting to Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Miranda, a member of NTF ELCAC’s Legal Cooperation Cluster, who alleged that both NUPL and Karapatan are fronting for Communist groups.

The NUPL said such practice endangers their lives and prevents them from independently performing their duties as lawyers.

“Especially since we in NUPL are compelled to handle cases that most of our colleagues in the profession cannot, would not, or do not – for reasons we respect – handle,” the group said.

“While we may differ in views, opinions and positions – just like we do in court – we should all endeavor to keep our professional dealings civil and fair, use only dignified language, avoid low blows, and refrain from promoting an unsafe environment in any setting, as we are mandated to do as lawyers under the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability and out of basic respect for our fellow human beings,” the NUPL asked.

“We expect nothing less from our fellow lawyers. Let us keep it fair and square, if you please,” NUPL added. #

(Raymund B. Villanueva)

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)
PRESS STATEMENT
April 21, 2023

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) strongly condemns the cold-blooded murders of CPP leaders Benito Tiamzon, Wilma Austria and their unidentified companions. The Tiamzon spouses are the latest NUPL clients to be killed under the government’s practice of giving no quarters to members and peace consultants of the underground revolutionary movement who were not engaging in hostilities or were manifestly unable to defend themselves.

The reported manner of killings, signs of torture on the unarmed victims’ bodies and the insidious cover-up involving the explosion and sinking of a “hostile boat” in the waters of Catbalogan City, Northern Samar, all point to the commission of war crimes by the military.

These grave breaches of international humanitarian law expose the injustice of the current counterterrorism framework, which blurs the distinction between armed conflict and terrorism, enables the arbitrary terrorist designation of parties to the protracted armed struggle, and enfeebles the application of protective legal norms to hors de combat, prisoners of war, and protected persons.

The government is, thus, called upon to fulfill its obligation to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law in all circumstances as stated in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Protocols, the domestic Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity, and even the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

This non-derogable obligation includes the duty to recognize the equal applicability of international humanitarian law to both parties of an armed conflict and to hold the military to account for the inhumane treatment and deaths not only of the Tiamzon spouses but of many other casualties of its war crimes.

It must also realize that further using ruthless counterterrorism tactics in tandem with draconian anti-people laws and issuances while neglecting to resolve the roots of the armed conflict will not only subvert public trust in our legal institutions and processes but also foment the people’s indignation and continue to undermine the possibility of achieving a just and lasting peace.#

References:
Atty. Ephraim B. Cortez
NUPL President | +639172092943
Atty. Josalee S. Deinla
NUPL Secretary General | +639174316396

Posted by arkibongbayanph
APR 12, 2023

Bayan slams Balikatan 2023
(Statement of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – BAYAN)

Bayan stands opposed to the Balikatan war games , as a matter of principle, based on our historical experience with US forces and based on our understanding of current developments in the region. There is no truth to the claim that these war games are beneficial and helpful for Filipinos , and that they are intended to boost our disaster response capabilities. The war games that will kick off on April 11 has little to do with humanitarian assistance and everything to do with US war preparations and imperialist power projection in the region.

The live-fire exercises and the simulated sinking of a decommissioned ship makes this iteration of Balikatan even more provocative. It will flare up tensions in the region. This is not in our best interest as a nation.

The Philippines is caught between an inter-imperialist conflict between the US and China. All actions of the US are intended to advance its imperialist agenda in the region. The US agenda and Philippine interests are not identical. We are merely being used as a foot stool for American power projection and provocation in the region. We are a convenient playground for US soldiers, and now a giant forward operating base for US weapons and warships through the EDCA.

The presence of foreign troops on our shores is a glaring sign that we are not truly free. Our foreign policy is shaped by American interests. Even our “internal security” follows the US counter-insurgency doctrine. We constantly wait for US excess defense articles and military aid as reward for being a US neo-colony. What is tragic is that after decades of having US bases and troops in the Philippines. our AFP has remained backward and undeveloped, contrary to claims that it will modernize through our agreements with the US.

We should not be dependent on the US when it comes to asserting our sovereignty versus China. The US has different goals in this region and we must be careful not to be dragged into US provocations and war. Bayan stands against both US intervention and China incursions. We oppose the lopsided military arrangements with the US that are an affront to our sovereignty and have caused the further weakening of our country. We call for the scrapping of all unequal military agreements with the US.

By Arjae Red
Workers World
February 17, 2023

U.S. Secretary of Defense, and former Raytheon board member, Lloyd Austin visited the Philippines, where he met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Feb. 1 to announce the expansion of the U.S. military presence there, from five to nine bases. The expansion and establishment of these bases are allowed under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

This announcement has sparked outrage among the people of the Philippines, who held mass demonstrations in 1991 and shut down Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base, which had been used to support the U.S. war of aggression against Vietnam.

The Filipino people have fought hard for more than a century against U.S. colonialism. During the Philippine-American war, the U.S. military slaughtered more than a million people. The 124th anniversary of the war, which began Feb. 4, 1899, coincided with Secretary Austin’s visit to Manila.

BAYAN USA Call to Action

Ten days after President Marcos and Secretary Austin met, activists and allies of the national-democratic movement of the Philippines mobilized for a Call to Action, which was put out by BAYAN USA.

Rallies hit the streets demanding an end to the EDCA, expulsion of all U.S. troops from Philippine territory, the end of all joint U.S.-Philippine military exercises, the end of all U.S. military aid to the armed forces and police of the Philippines and an end to the colonial relationship of the country to the U.S.

This writer spoke to LRT, an organizer with BAYAN Seattle, who shared their thoughts on the U.S. military expansion: “The presence of the U.S. military carries a dual purpose of maintaining the semicolonial system in the Philippines and ensuring its guns remain aimed at China. There is no regard for the people or the environment, as the U.S. Navy has historically polluted local waters and damaged coral reefs, affecting the marine life and disrupting the livelihood of fisherfolk.

“Everywhere there has been a U.S. military base, there has also been a red-light district. The tourism of military personnel isn’t just at night clubs and local clubs. The violence against Filipina women intensifies with the presence of military personnel, as evidenced by the 2014 murder of Jennifer Laude by U.S. Marine Joseph Pemberton.”

Although Pemberton was imprisoned first in a Philippine jail, he was ultimately released to U.S. custody. Today he walks free in Hawaii with no justice for the Laude family.

LRT continued: “It is the U.S. Special Forces that train the murderous butchers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines to inflict harm on our communities in the name of ‘counterinsurgency’ and ‘anti-terrorism.’ Who better to teach the AFP to terrorize its own people than the number-one terrorist in the world?”

U.S. increases bases, threats to China

These newly secured bases were the missing link in completing what is referred to as the “first island chain” in the U.S.-military enclosure of China. These bases are situated on the land sites closest to Taiwan. As Washington builds up U.S. forces in the region for war against China, supplies and nuclear weapons could be stored on these bases.

With a U.S./NATO-instigated proxy war in Ukraine in full-swing, justified under the auspices of “protecting” Ukraine, and with the U.S. showing no desire to de-escalate, there is no reason to believe joint-access military base expansion would protect the Philippines. U.S. maneuvers in the region have threatened aggression against China. The presence of additional U.S. military personnel only puts the Philippines in the crossfire.

xxxx

Kodao.Org
March 29, 2023

Abduction survivor’s testimony stuns Human Rights Council meeting

GENEVA, Switzerland–The Philippine government said nothing but a bunch of lies at the 52nd regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council last Monday, March 27, a network of human rights defenders said.

Reacting to the government’s oral statements at the adoption of the recommendations made at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) last November, the Philippine UPR Watch said they were “astounded by the barefaced lies” Ambassador Evan Garcia told the international body.

“If the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government is to be believed, the Philippines is a paradise and its government worth emulating by the rest of world in how it upholds human rights and serves its people through prosperity and social service,” the network said.

In his opening statement, Garcia said Garcia claimed Manila implements “profound and bold reforms” in the Philippines’ criminal justice system. He added that the Philippine government implements its human rights plans and the Joint Programme with the UN as it conducts investigations on human rights violation, extrajudicial killings. He further claimed that the Marcos government protects journalist, human and environmental rights defenders among others.

Garcia also claimed that the government is open to engagements with human rights advocates and had been willing to accept fair criticism. Its acceptance of 215 of the 289 recommendations made in the UPR is proof of this, he said.

But the PH UPR Watch said Garcia contradicted himself when he said the Philippines has an “effective and responsive justice system” while admitting to only five recent convictions of low level police officers involved in the thousands of deaths connected with the drug-related killings in the country.

Unanimous rejection by rights groups

Speaking in the same meeting, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Richard Pal-pallatoc pointed out that human rights violations, extrajudicial killings as well as threats and harassments against human rights defenders, civil society organizations, journalists and critics continue in the Philippines.

Pal-pallatoc added that social and economic problems such as runaway inflation and worsening standard of living still need to be addressed by the government.

While all of the 13 countries that spoke after Garcia recommended the adoption of the recommendations as standard practice, the nine international civil society organizations that delivered oral statements expressed disappointment that 74 recommendations were rejected.

Those that were “noted” by the government pertain to red-tagging, the government’s refusal to re-accede to the International Criminal Court, the persecution of human rights defenders, “weaponization” of laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and libel and cyber-libel, among others.

Recent abduction and enforced disappearance survivor and Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Region 7 coordinator April Dyan Gumanao and Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay also delivered oral statements in behalf of the World Council of Churches and global civil society network CIVICUS, respectively.

Shocking testimony

The UNHRC session fell into a hush when Gumanao began narrating their harrowing experience when abducted, disappeared and tortured by men who introduced themselves as police officers.

Gumanao revealed their abductors forced them to become government spies against activist groups and labor unions.

She said they were abandoned by their abductors when a concerned citizen’s video of their abduction went viral online and due to intense public pressure for their surfacing.

Seemingly affected by Gumanao’s testimony at the UN, Garcia delivered a rejoinder in his closing statement, denying the existence of a government policy on red-tagging and persecution of human rights defenders, environmentalists, mass media and other government critics.

He added the availability of local judicial remedies as well as the existence of a “most vibrant mass media practice” in the Philippines.

He also called human rights defenders in the country as “empowered” whom the government considers as “partners”.

The PH UPR Watch however was quick to call Garcia’s claims as “hogwash”.

“What a bunch of lies the world heard yesterday,” the network said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

= = = = =

Disclosure: The reporter is in Geneva to submit reports to the UN Special Procedures office connected with the expected official visit of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression later this year.

Pilgrims for Peace Statement
20 December 2022

Sharing deep sorrow for dreams not yet fulfilled, Pilgrims for Peace mourns the passing of a principled and resolute icon of the Filipino people’s struggle for a just and lasting peace.

Chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines Jose Maria Sison was like refined gold. He exhibited sharp acumen for social change as well as extraordinary character marked by goodness, kindness and unrelenting focus as a leader serving the people and the revolutionary movement in the Philippines.

Maligned and persecuted under the US-led war of terror, Ka Joma was not a terrorist. With his passing, we assert once more that neither Ka Joma, the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, nor the National Democratic Front of the Philippines can nor should be derogated as terrorist. The long-seeded revolutionary struggle of the Philippines, finds its roots in the colonial vestiges of the feudal bondage of the rural peasants and the backward economy and stunted development of entrenched Imperialist machinations. Ka Joma proved his mettle as an ideological beacon, incomparable strategist and tactician, and reliable backbone of the oppressed and exploited masses in their cry for national and social liberation.

Let it be known: Ka Joma was also a most committed advocate for building a just and lasting peace in the Philippines. With verve and persistence, Ka Joma sounded the clarion call for principled negotiations with any government of the reactionary state that was willing to address the roots of the armed conflict in the Philippines. His unwavering commitment to pursue a way to just and lasting peace under The Hague Joint Declaration was matched by his fervor for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement for Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the crafting of the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER). Ka Joma demonstrated that his belief in the need for revolution was matched by an unflinching commitment to pursue peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

As peace advocates, we join in the people’s salute to an ingenious, innovative and unfailing trailblazer. His infectious belief in freedom and social change gave rise to daring struggle and concrete gains for the poorest and most marginalized of the Philippines. Ka Joma inspired a social movement and guided the political maturation of thousands toward their aspiration for national democracy from a socialist perspective. As the founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the contributions of Jose Maria Sison has been indelibly written into the fabric of his motherland.

Now, we and all peace and justice loving Filipinos must continue the journey toward building a just and enduring peace for the Filipino people. #

Most Revd. Rhee M. Timbang, Obispo Maximo, Iglesia Filipina Independiente

Bp. Dindo Ranojo, Ecumenical Bishops Forum

Rev. Irma Balaba, Promotion of Church People’s Response

Fr. Ritchie Masegman, Episcopal Church of the Philippines

Rev. Frank Hernando, Executive Secretary, UCCP

Rev. Homar Distajo, Executive Secretary, UCCP

Dss. Norma Dollaga, Kasimbayan

Kej Andres, Student Christian Movement-Philippines

Mike Pante, PhD, ACT for Peace

Atty. Ephraim B Cortez, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers

Joanna Concepcion, Chair, Migrante International

Arman Hernando, Chair, Migrante Philippines

Gert Libang, Chair, Gabriela

Amirah Lidasan, Moro-Christian People’s Alliance

Feny Cosico, AGHAM

Elmer Labog, Chair, Kilusang Mayo Uno

Rafael Mariano, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas

Cathy Estavillo, Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women

Dr. Carol Araullo, BAYAN

Tinay Palabay, Karapatan