We, three thousand strong human rights advocates and defenders in Northern Mindanao, once again, flock the streets in Cagayan de Oro City to manifest our ire over the worsening human rights situation under the Pnoy government. In the first four months of Pnoy, he has surpassed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s record of eighteen (18) extrajudicial killings in her last six months in power. Already, there are twenty (20) victims of extrajudicial killings as Oplan Bantay Laya, the military blueprint of state terrorism, continue to give licence to the armed forces of the government to harass and kill activists, church people, peasants, media men, human rights advocates, lawyers and all critics to the ills of the government under the guise of counter-insurgency.
We grieve over the death of two (2) peasants, Wilfred Dolorico and Edgardo Mariquit, who fell victims to summary execution in our region perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the 4th Infantry Division. We are angered over the denial of justice spurred by the culture of impunity on extrajudicial killings as human rights violators, including Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her henchmen in the military go unpunished.
We stress that Pnoy’s promise to put an end to human rights violations as military operations rage in peasant and lumad communities, the recent being in Barangay Hagpa, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon. Apparantly, Pnoy’s government has continued to contribute to the already long list of human rights violations committed by the Arroyo government, as its forces from the 8th Infantry Division under the command of Lt. Col. Maurito Licudine commit grave violations: coercing civilian residents in Hagpa to surrender as members of the New People’s Army, harassment and grave threat on the lives of Rogelio and Emelisa Colita, usage of civilian and religious (church) facilities for military purposes among others.
We decry the terrorist-tagging of progressive organizations. Such branding has been the excuse of the armed forces and its intelligence agents to continue its harassments and surveillance on the leaders and members of the League of Filipino Students in Cagayan de Oro City, Anakpawis Chapters in Tagoloan and Villanueva and Bp.
Antonio Ablon, IFI of the KARAPATAN in the region.
The struggle for human rights is at the heart of the people’s struggle for a just and pro-people society. As we continue to defend civil and political rights, we advance, with more fervor, the fight for our right to land, decent employment and just wages, basic services and for our economic and sectoral demands, amidst repression and terrorism.
FRUSTRATE THE STATE TERRORISM OF THE PUPPET REGIME!
DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS!
PUSH FOR GENUINE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS!
JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS!
Reference:
Atty. Beverly Selim-Musni
Chairperson of Karapatan Northern Mindanao
Contact Details: 09086079648, karapatan_cdo@yahoo.com
Kristin Lim, Deputy Secretary-General
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Northern Mindanao
Contact Details: 09158546834, peoplesmarchcdo@gmail.com
