Intl Human Rights Day countdown: Tuwid na daan, wakasan
Following the call of the relatives and victims of human rights violations to jail BS Aquino, Karapatan today scored the regime’s conspicuously dedma attitude on the unabated killings as a result of its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan. “We are one with the call of the victims of human rights violations to put BS Aquino to jail. The regime not only continues to act like there are no human rights violations happening, but also continues to attack the people with absolute brazenness,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Intl Human Rights Day countdown: Tuwid na daan, wakasan
Following the call of the relatives and victims of human rights violations to jail BS Aquino, Karapatan today scored the regime’s conspicuously dedma attitude on the unabated killings as a result of its counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan. “We are one with the call of the victims of human rights violations to put BS Aquino to jail. The regime not only continues to act like there are no human rights violations happening, but also continues to attack the people with absolute brazenness,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Karapatan has documented 304 victims of extrajudicial killings and 324 victims of frustrated killings from July 2010 to November 2015. Of the 304 victims of extrajudicial killings, 223 were peasants, 80 indigenous people, and 28 children.
“The units of the armed forces that are in peasant and indigenous people’s communities should immediately return to barracks to give the people relief from the unceasing attacks against them, their schools, and their communities,” said Palabay.
Karapatan also documented 26 victims of brutal slaying, showing the monstrosity of the regime. Palabay cited the case of victims of Lianga massacre Emerito Samarca whose throat was slit open; of Ely Oguis in Bicol who was beheaded; of the three members of the Ligiw family of Abra who were hogtied and buried in a hole atop of each other, “and many other killed in a gruesome manner that even monsters would be disgusted.”
Palabay said, “Part of BS Aquino’s culpability is the non-conviction of identified perpetrators of the killings. They can’t even serve the existing warrants of arrest,” citing the case of the Tejero brothers and Garito Layno who were involved in the September 1 massacre; of NIPAR paramilitary group leader Alde Salusad, the named killer of Datu Jimmy Liguyon of Bukidnon; and the Ato brothers of the Bagani paramilitary group who were among the perpetrators of the killing of Italian priest Fr.Fausto Tentorio. The Tejero brothers, Layno and Salusad are under the protection of AFP, while the Ato brothers are under the custody of Congresswoman Nancy Catamco.
On December 5, victims of human rights violations and their kin gathered to demand for the jailing of BS Aquino, saying they will not allow BS Aquino go unpunished for what his regime has done not only to them and their loved ones but to the nation as well. “We stand by the victims of Aquino’s crimes. With them, we will pursue justice just as we did with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” Palabay ended.###