The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) express serious concerns over alarming developments in the India-occupied region of Jammu and Kashmir. This month India’s government has repealed the Constitutional provision providing special status to Jammu and Kashmir amidst media and communications blockade and the deployment of more than 30,000 paramilitary troops. On the ground reports of arbitrary detention and house arrest of more than 500 human rights defenders have also jeopardized fundamental civil liberties and the freedom of expression.
Tatlong taong nagdaan, sanlaksang kasalanan ng gobyernong Duterte sa taumbayan.
Inilunsad ang giyera kontra droga noong Hulyo 2016 bilang pangunahing programa ng gobyernong Duterte, alinsunod sa pangako niyang sugpuin ang illegal na kalakalan sa droga. Ang madugong kampanya ang pumaslang sa higit 27,000 Pilipino kabilang na ang higit 100 kabataan at mga sanggol, na tinagurian niyang “collateral damage”. Pinatunayan ng isang survey na karamihan ng mga Pilipino ay ayaw sa nagaganap na patayan bagama’t sang- ayon silang giyerahin ang illegal na kalakalan ng droga. Nagsunud sunod naman ang panunupil sa mamamayang nagprotesta at kumondena sa malawakang extrajudicial killing, gayundin laban sa malayang pamamahayag. Umalagwa ang pamamaslang sa mga human rights defenders, mga kritiko at oposisyon. Iniulat ni Representative Edcel Lagman na 134 tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao ang pinaslang mula nang maupo si Duterte sa puwesto. Samantala patuloy ang pamamayagpag ng malalaking drug lords at pagpasok ng droga sa bansa. At si Duterte na mismo ang umaming lumalaki pa ang bilang ng nalululong dito. Dahil sa pananalasa ni Duterte sa karapatang pantao nasadlak sa pagsisiyasat ng International Criminal Court at United Nations Human Rights Council ang Pilipinas.
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”.
