December, 2011

Karapatan calls on the government teams tasked to find the fugitive Ret. Major General Palparan to search the military camps in the country. “In a sudden twist of fate, he might be seeking refuge in the same camps where Karen, Sherlyn and other victims of enforced disappearances were held and tortured,” said Jigs Clamor, secretary general of Karapatan.  

We welcome the issuance of warrants of arrest for Ret. Major General Jovito Palparan, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, Master Sergeant Rizal Hilario, and Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio for charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of our daughters, Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno.

“There is no other destination for Palparan but in jail. The government should use all the resources at their disposal to find, arrest and jail Palparan et al,” said Karapatan deputy secretary general, Jigs Clamor.

Karapatan welcomes the resolution of the Department of Justice (DOJ) finding probable cause on the cases filed against Ret. Maj. General Jovito Palparan, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado, Master Sergeant Rizal Hilario and Staff Sergeant Edgardo Osorio with two counts of kidnapping and serious Illegal Detention for the abduction of two missing UP students, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006. The DOJ released the resolution on December 15.

Seattle-based community group Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) commemorated International Human Rights Day by hosting renown Filipina activist Marie Hilao-Enriquez. 

Seattle-based community group Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) commemorated International Human Rights Day by hosting renown Filipina activist Marie Hilao-Enriquez.  

“PRESIDENT NOYNOY AQUINO conveniently uses GMA as a shield by endlessly harping on her crimes and wrongdoings as a subterfuge to evade taking responsibility for human rights violations committed by his administration and its inability to solve any of the country’s basic problems. No amount of political manipulation or attempt to project himself as a protagonist in the quest for justice against GMA can dispel the truth that he continues Arroyo’s legacy of state terror through Oplan Bayanihan.”Jigs Clamor, Deputy Secretary General of Karapatan, made the statement as human rights and people’s organizations led by Karapatan and Bayan marched today from Blumentritt to Mendiola to commemorate International Human Rights Day.

“GMA has been a convenient smokescreen to blur the spotlight on P-Noy.  For instance, Malacañang benefits from all the fuss about Arroyo’s transfer to the presidential suite of the veteran’s hospital because it hides the fact that his government has been sorely remiss in promptly prosecuting and putting Arroyo to jail,” Clamor explained.

Condemning the violent dispersal at Mendiola yesterday, human rights group Karapatan called for the release of five protesters who were arrested without charges.

“The Aquino government’s attempt to quell legitimate protests is terribly juvenile and is a classic act of baring the fangs of a repressive regime upon the youth. It is ironic because the nation, including the government, is commemorating the International Human Rights Day,” Karapatan deputy secretary general Jigs Clamor said. 

Human rights group Karapatan chided the military’s so-called renewal of “commitment to uphold human rights” amidst the continuing rights violations, injustice and impunity under the P-Noy administration. 

Former political prisoners led by the Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto today welcomed the recently filed resolution of some 38 congresspersons strongly urging Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III “to grant general, unconditional, and omnibus amnesty to political prisoners…who are victims of political repression and charged or convicted of political and/or common crimes on acts in furtherance of their political beliefs.”

Human rights group Karapatan today asserted that, “the issue of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) is not a numbers game,” in reaction to Malacañang’s statement that disputed Karapatan’s documentation of 64 victims of  EJKs under the Aquino administration.

Group conducts solidarity action for political prisoners in hunger strike

“We will not stop until our quest for justice is done. GMA and her cohorts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) involved in our illegal arrest, torture and detention should answer for the many abuses committed in violation of our rights. We hope that there is no more delay in the proceedings because we will keep knocking on the doors of the court to achieve justice, “said Gary Liberal, R.N., spokesperson of the Morong 43 and one of the plaintiffs named in the civil suit.