Human Rights Abuses in the Phillipines

In spite of massive protest locally and internationally, the government of the Philippines has not taken any significant steps to stop the extrajudicial killings. Either the government is unwilling or it is not capable of stopping such killings. It is time to resist this massive violation of people's right to life, which now takes place with the government's direct or tacit consent. We urge everyone to take part in active protests to stop these killings and to return to the democratic way of life, as envisaged in the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Currently, the country's constitution, as well as the international obligations that the state of the Philippines has agreed to, remain flouted by such killings. AHRC Latest Killings: date: 23 January 2007 victim: Demetrio Imperial of Barangay Sogoy, Castilla, Sorsogon date: 23 January 2007 victim: Ruben Ermino of Tabi village, Gubat town, Bicol date: 23 January 2007 victim: Miguel Dayandate, member of Bayan Muna date: 23 January 2007 victim: Julio Camero, member of Bayan Muna date: 21 January 2007 victim: Ananias Burce, chairman of Barangay Oras in Tabaco City Sign the online petition

habi arts / habi ng kalinangan

Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Doors open at 7:00pm
The Blue Cafe
210 Promenade, The Promenade
Long Beach, CA 90802

21 and over
$10 general admission
$7 students w/valid ID
(Proceeds support human rights in the Philippines)

Geologic of Blue Scholars
www.myspace.com/bluescholars
Watch Blue Scholars open for Kanye West on YouTube

Kiwi of Native Guns
www.myspace.com/kiwi

Also performances by:

Foundation Funkollective www.myspace.com/foundationfunkollective

The Committee www.myspace.com/thecommitteemusic

Get down to conscious hip hop!
Support human rights in the Philippines!

ACT NOW! Sign the online petition: www.pinoyhr.net/sign.php


The proceeds for this benefit show will help send human rights victims to the historic Permanent Peoples' Tribunal in Europe. For more information, visit www.philippinetribunal.org

Sponsored by Bayan USA, Anakbayan LA and Habi Arts. If you would like to endorse this event, please send an email to info@habi-arts.org.

On 21 - 25 March 2007, the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal will convene in The Hague, The Netherlands, with a body of internationally respected jurors to hear the indictment against the US-Backed Arroyo regime for human rights violations, economic plunder and transgression of the Filipino people's sovereignty.

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The Tribunal is convening a Second Session on the Philippines in response to the urgent appeal of the Filipino people, represented by organizations of victims of human rights abuses and other organizations deeply aggrieved by the violations of the fundamental rights of the Filipino people. According to Dr. Gianni Tognoni, General Secretary of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, the Filipino case is a model "on what is occurring in the world today with respect to the prevalence of the 'economic low-intensity wars' conceptualized and practiced to substitute the old dictatorships".

The present situation in the Philippines, Dr. Tognoni asserts, "is a successful case of silent repression. It is thus important to make this case visible".

"The Philippines is a model case of globalization", he continues, "Filipino people are spread all over the world as migrants... We see the exploitation of the more developed countries of the Filipino people's situation of forced migration to strengthen their local economy, creating situations of discrimination."

Intensive work is currently underway to collect and analyze available evidences from different sources, documents, and witnesses. An International Coordinating Secretariat and a Philippine Coordinating Secretariat have been formed to assist the General Secretariat of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal towards the successful realization of its 35th session.

All freedom-loving peoples are enjoined to support the Filipinos’ quest for justice by actively supporting the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines.

CALL FOR SUPPORT
BE A PART OF THIS MOMENTOUS ENDEAVOR!

The success of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal: Second Session on the Philippines rests on the efforts of all freedom loving Filipinos and the support of foreign friends and solidarity partners.

Send in messages of support, distribute leaflets, spread the word & gather more support from friends and colleagues,join organizations & activities supporting the Filipino people, send in your donations!

'It was a Harrowing Process' – UN Special Rapporteur PDF Print E-mail

By Dabet Castañeda
Bulatlat
25 February 2007

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions last week admitted that probing the spate of political murders in the Philippines is a “harrowing process.”

The UN Special Rapporteur, Philip Alston, an Australian professor at the New York University, was in near tears on Feb. 21 when he recounted to the media his experience in investigating the killings of civilians, political activists and journalists, most particularly when he heard the stories straight from the victims’ families. He spent 10 days in the Philippines interviewing families of victims of political killings and other violations of human rights as well to President Gloria M. Arroyo and other government officials.

“I was incredibly upset by the execution of a 21-year old son of this woman testifying before me,” he said, referring to Erlinda Manano whose son, youth activist Isaias, was murdered reportedly by soldiers on April 28, 2004 in Calapan, the city capital of the island-province of Mindoro Oriental.

“I was almost in tears but I tried not to show anything,” the UN expert said. “Then she said ‘sir, here are the photographs of my son,’ and I simply had to say, ‘take them away please.’

For the rest of the article, link here

Methodist Bishop wants US Congress to stop support for Arroyo government

GMANews.TV
24 February 2007

RP killings shock US Methodist bishop

Officials of the United Methodist Church (UMC) based in the United States will ask their lawmakers to stop supporting the Arroyo administration until the political killings in the Philippines are resolved.

This developed after the 17-man mission team headed by Bishop Beverly Shamana from California-Nevada Conference of the UMC in the US arrived in Manila for a pastoral and solidarity visit to look into the extra-judicial killings and human rights violations in the Philippines.

For the rest of the article, link here