AFP Chief
of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista earned the ire of victims of human rights
violations after calling the arrest of alleged high-ranking NPA leaders Benito
Tiamzon and Wilma Austria as “justice.”
said Ernan Baldomero, vice-chairperson of Hustisya (Victims United for
Justice), “we want plunderers, corrupt politicians and human rights violators
punished, not the people who are part of the peace negotiations with the
government.”
AFP Chief
of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista earned the ire of victims of human rights
violations after calling the arrest of alleged high-ranking NPA leaders Benito
Tiamzon and Wilma Austria as “justice.”
said Ernan Baldomero, vice-chairperson of Hustisya (Victims United for
Justice), “we want plunderers, corrupt politicians and human rights violators
punished, not the people who are part of the peace negotiations with the
government.”
According
to Baldomero, the arrest of the Tiamzon and Austria showed the disinterest of
the government in pursuing the peace talks. Ernan is the son of Fernando Baldomero,
first of the 174 victims of extrajudicial killings under Pres. Aquino.
“If the
government is for the peace talks, why do they arrest and detain the other party
to the negotiations? If they want to address the roots of the armed conflict,
why do they kill, abduct, arrest and torture dissenters of the government’s
anti-people policies?” said Baldomero.
For the
families of victims of human rights violations, justice is served when
perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal
arrests and detention, and other human rights violations are arrested and
punished.
“It may be retired general Jovito Palparan or the elements of the police and
the military who killed my father; or soldiers and paramilitary forces who
terrorize communities in the countryside. They are the enemies of the people,”
he said.
In arresting
Tiamzon and Austria, Baldomero said the Aquino government supposes it could get
away from the human rights violations it has committed against the people.
“The government
wishes to be vindicated from its crimes against the people and the people will
be cowed in their clamor for justice. The military calls the arrest a way to
justice, peace and development. There can be no justice as the government
continues to violate people’s rights,” he said.
Rights
groups scored the recent spate of killings, with an average of one victim killed
a week. In the first 10 weeks of 2014, 11 activists, farmers and ordinary
citizens were killed.
“The
government continues to use full military might against the people. The people,
in defense of their rights, continue to exercise their right to protest and
rebel because they believe that peace through silencing dissent is not justice.
Peace talks must resume now. Genuine justice should be served,” Baldomero said.
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