(Cristina Palabay, Karapatan spokesperson, on the statement of Malacañang spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Aquino’s human rights record)
Broken promises, blame games, unabated human rights violations – these characterize Malacañang’s response to calls for Pres. Aquino to stop the killings and human rights violations under his administration.
Malacañang spokesperson Edwin Lacierda’s statement shows the Aquino administration’s propensity to squirm out from each and every responsibility for extrajudicial killings and rights violations by blaming a branch of government under its auspices. It is the simply the lamest of excuses, as it disregards the efforts of victims and their families to file cases against rights violators, no thanks to Aquino. It simply manifests this administration’s low regard for the pursuit of justice for the victims and, in putting an end to killings and impunity. With this frame of mind, it is no wonder why Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. remains free from arrest up to this time.
MAY WE REMIND LACIERDA THAT AQUINO HIMSELF PROMISED THESE “REFORMS” DURING HIS ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND INAUGURAL SPEECH; PROMISES THAT REMAIN AS BROKEN AS AQUINO’S RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN HIS TWO YEARS IN OFFICE.
(Cristina Palabay, Karapatan spokesperson, on the statement of Malacañang spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Aquino’s human rights record)
Broken promises, blame games, unabated human rights violations – these characterize Malacañang’s response to calls for Pres. Aquino to stop the killings and human rights violations under his administration.
Malacañang spokesperson Edwin Lacierda’s statement shows the Aquino administration’s propensity to squirm out from each and every responsibility for extrajudicial killings and rights violations by blaming a branch of government under its auspices. It is the simply the lamest of excuses, as it disregards the efforts of victims and their families to file cases against rights violators, no thanks to Aquino. It simply manifests this administration’s low regard for the pursuit of justice for the victims and, in putting an end to killings and impunity. With this frame of mind, it is no wonder why Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. remains free from arrest up to this time.
MAY WE REMIND LACIERDA THAT AQUINO HIMSELF PROMISED THESE “REFORMS” DURING HIS ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND INAUGURAL SPEECH; PROMISES THAT REMAIN AS BROKEN AS AQUINO’S RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN HIS TWO YEARS IN OFFICE.
Karapatan has documented 99 victims of extrajudicial killings under Aquino (from July 2010 to June 30, 2012), most of them farmers, indigenous peoples and activists advocating for land rights and environmental protection, amid the onslaught of Aquino-sponsored big mining projects and landgrabbing spree of landlords to possess and repossess vast properties in the rural areas. Through Oplan Bayanihan, Aquino has unleashed military operations against whole communities, targeting civilians and activists who are advocating for these fundamental rights.
Aquino, through his kabarkada Lacierda, should stop fooling the Filipino people on his human rights record.