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Karapatan: Duterte’s “kill” order to Espenido is a directive to murder more Filipinos
Submitted on Sat, 10/19/2019 - 09:48
Human rights group Karapatan strongly denounces the recent orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, the former chief of police of Albuera, Leyte and Ozamiz City where two mayors were killed in police operations, to feel “free to kill everybody.”
In a speech last Thursday night, Duterte further said he sent Espenido to Bacolod, which he referred to as a city “badly hit” by illegal drugs.
Karapatan assails latest killing of former journalist and village councilor in Eastern Visayas
Submitted on Fri, 10/18/2019 - 09:14
"Two more civilians were killed in Eastern Visayas - one a former journalist and another a village councilor by riding-in-tandem gunmen. The use of riding-in-tandem gunmen was a rampant modus operandi under then-President Gloria Arroyo's brand of State terrorism. This is done to mask the perpetrators and conveniently refute any link that the attacks were State-perpetrated.
Karapatan demands justice for Filipino migrant worker Mary Jean Alberto
Submitted on Wed, 10/16/2019 - 12:30
Human rights group Karapatan joins the family of Mary Jean Alberto in calling for justice amid her cruel ordeal and death. Mary Jean is a Filipino migrant worker in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates who was reportedly killed by her Moroccan employer last October 2, 2019. Karapatan extends its condolences to the victim’s family.
Karapatan hits Albayalde, PNP amid ‘ninja cops’ issue: ‘Resignation does not absolve you from your crimes’
Submitted on Tue, 10/15/2019 - 10:56
As Oscar Albayalde relinquished his post as the chief of the Philippine National Police, human rights group Karapatan strongly reminds authorities that his resignation should not be used as an absolution from the alleged crimes he has committed, including his supposed involvement in a ‘drug-recycling’ scheme initiated by the institution’s ‘ninja cops.’ This is notwithstanding the corruption and human rights violations committed by the police under his leadership, particularly under the sham war on drugs.
Karapatan: Duterte’s attacks on activists intensify as cases of illegal arrests and torture pile up
Submitted on Tue, 10/15/2019 - 10:43
Human rights group Karapatan strongly condemns the Duterte regime’s continuing attacks directed against rights activists as illegal arrests and various human rights violations have intensified in the string of the government’s relentless crackdown.
“Since October started, at least 13 human rights defenders were illegally arrested and charged with trumped-up charges. There is an orchestrated attempt, led by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), to criminalize and delegitimize the work of human rights defenders. The NTF, since its inception in December 2018, has incessantly targeted human rights defenders, and have blurred the distinction between armed combatants and civilians. To the eyes of these bloodthirsty beasts and ruthless criminals, human rights defense is a crime. As a State policy, this has severe implications on the ground as human rights workers continue to be subjected to a wide range of human rights violations, particularly killings, illegal arrests, torture, and harassment,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan Secretary General said.
