The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates enjoins the nation to vigorously exercise their political right of suffrage on May 13, 2019 and elect candidates who hold human rights in the highest regard, especially those to be elected to the Philippine Senate.
Three years of President Duterte’s elite authoritarian rule brought thousands of deaths at our doorsteps due to a violent war against drugs which protected the big drug lords, increased drug supply in the market, and left thousands of orphans in its bloody wake. Widespread impunity and the culture of fear allowed for sexual exploitation of women and children in the hands of law enforcement officials, of whom the majority have not been brought to justice to this day. Those heavily associated with this hardline and bloody drug war are even among those running in the polls.
PAHRA Statement of Philippine News Agency article on SEC Revocation and Red Tagging
We will not be silenced by the disinformation being orchestrated by the Duterte government to stifle dissent.
The recent report made by Philippine News Agency (PNA), citing the revocation of the registration of the six non-government organizations including the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its non-compliance, is nothing but a deliberate, manipulative and malicious attempt to discredit human rights groups from challenging the recently-issued SEC Memorandum Circular No. 15 last November 8, 2018. The PNA report failed to mention that PAHRA after its dissolution in 2003 had filed and secured a new SEC registration in 2010 (CN201007182, May 14) and has been compliant with the SEC requirements ever since.
Pahayag ng iDEFEND at PAHRA sa pandaigdigang araw ng Paggawa
Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Office mahigit 2 milliong Pilipino ang walang trabaho sa nakaraang taon. Higit 75% nito ay nasa edad na 15 to 34 taon. Ang pinakamalaking bahagi ng mga manggagawa ang nasa sektor ng services at pangangalakal, pangalawang pinakamalaki ang nasa agrikultura at pangatlo ang nasa industrya. Higit sa kalahati ng namamasukan sa 31,277 establisyamento ang kontraktual o sadlak sa trabahong “endo”.
The upcoming mid-term polls present an exceptional opportunity for the Filipino people who are now burdened with relentless price hikes, disease epidemics, food shortage, environmental crises, internal conflict and brazen loss of life due to extrajudicial killings, the TRAIN law, Martial Law, misinformation and widespread impunity.
The 2019 elections is a defining moment for the aggrieved Filipino masses, whether we move forward as a nation hoping for better lives or as doomed souls, is literally in the hands of every voter inside the polling booths come May 13. At this juncture, we simply cannot afford a “business as usual” approach to this critical political exercise.
The celebration of historic event is not about the personalities who emerged victorious. It is about unsung heroes of yesterday who vigilantly fought for the nation to be free. EDSA People Power is not about the Aquinos neither their cohorts, who are now brandish as so-called “Dilawans”. Lest we forget that there were ordinary people – farmers, workers, fisherfolks, teachers, students, church people, and even professionals who offered their lives in the altar of struggle and resistance for nationalism and democracy. They who chose not to be cowed by silence and fear in the face of a despot and plunderer. It was an act of people reawakening. It was the people empowered by passion to change and to act for change. The power that ousted a dictator. The power that awakened hundreds of thousands amidst massive and widespread human rights violations which occurred during the dark days of Martial Law under the Marcos dictatorship. The power arose by the paragons of justice, peace and democracy emerging from the climate of fear and quandary.
