“On his first State of
the Nation Address (SONA), Karapatan calls on Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to address
the military’s continuing rights violations and immediately stop the
“On his first State of
the Nation Address (SONA), Karapatan calls on Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to address
the military’s continuing rights violations and immediately stop the
implementation of Oplan Bayanihan. The Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should be held accountable for gross violations of human rights, people’s rights and
international humanitarian law,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan Secretary General,
said today, as the group joined thousands from Mindanao, Bicol, Southern
Tagalog, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Negros and Metro Manila in a rally in
time for Duterte’s first SONA in Quezon City. Scores of foreign delegates from
the International Conference on People’s Rights in the Philippines (ICPRP) were
also seen among the rallyists. Karapatan chapters and members joined Bayan-led
rallies nationwide.
Karapatan said that through Oplan Bayanihan, the BS Aquino administration left behind 108,612 victims of forced
evacuation, mostly in Mindanao. There are 332 victims of political killings and
244 cases of torture. BS Aquino is accountable for crimes against the
Filipinos, especially the gross human rights violations he and his military
perpetrated. (all data documented from July 2010 to June 30, 2016)
“Oplan
Bayanihan continues to this day. On July 7-8, around 399 families evacuated
from Brgy. Pichon, Caraga, Davao Oriental to escape the 67th Infantry
Battalion’s air strikes,” Palabay reported.
According
to Karapatan Southern Mindanao, “There were at least 12 bombs dropped in
civilian communities. A total of 17 sitios were affected by the military
bombings. Prior to the bombings, the residents were constantly terrorized by
the Mandaya Ancestral Defense Unit (MANADU), a paramilitary group backed by the
67th IBPA.”
“We
call on Pres. Duterte to pull out AFP troops from civilian communities to
facilitate the safe return of all evacuees affected by continuing military
operations,” she stated.
Karapatan
also attributes the many cases of illegal arrest and detention to Oplan
Bayanihan and previous counter-insurgency programs such as Arroyo’s Oplan
Bantay Laya. “BS Aquino continued Arroyo’s policy and practice of filing
trumped up charges, which resulted in 306 individuals arrested under Aquino.
Most remain in detention centers and prisons up to present. They are among the
524 political prisoners on record,” Palabay said.
“We
look forward to the upcoming formal peace talks of the National Democratic
Front of the Philippines and the Duterte government in August 2016, as well as
the reaffirmation of the commitment of both the GPH and NDFP to previously
signed agreements. We also look forward to the release of the all political
prisoners, especially the 22 NDFP peace consultants, who should not have been
arrested at all because they are JASIG protected” she added.
The
group also expressed concern over the recent spate of drug-related killings.
“Extrajudicial killings, whether political or drug-related, must stop. We call
on Pres. Duterte to strongly call for adherence to and live by the principle of
one’s right to due process, most especially of those from the poor sectors.
Employment and livelihood programs are more comprehensive solutions which
should be made available to all who may fall or have fallen prey to the drug
trade having been pushed to do so by abject poverty. On the other hand, we
support Pres. Duterte’s campaign to arrest and prosecute high officials in the
military, police and government agencies accountable for the drug menace,”
Palabay ended.
Violation of Civil and Political Rights
under the Noynoy Aquino Government
July 2010 to June 2016
Based
on reports gathered by Karapatan
Table
1:
Violation
of Civil & Political Rights
Under
the Noynoy Aquino Government
(July
2010 to June 2016)
|
Violations |
No. of Victims |
|
Extrajudicial killing |
332 |
|
Enforced Disappearance |
30 |
|
Torture |
244 |
|
Rape |
12 |
|
Frustrated Extrajudicial Killing |
624 |
|
Illegal Arrest without Detention |
1,131 |
|
Illegal Arrest and Detention |
635 |
|
Illegal Search and Seizure |
289 |
|
Physical Assault and Injury |
574 |
|
Demolition |
12,331 |
|
Violation of Domicile |
1,129 |
|
Destruction of Properties |
4,245 |
|
Divestment of Property |
952 |
|
Forced Evacuation |
108,612 |
|
Threat/Harassment/Intimidation |
200,743 |
|
Indiscriminate Firing |
92,247 |
|
Forced/Fake Surrender |
319 |
|
Forced Labor/Involuntary Servitude |
125 |
|
Use of Civilians in Police and/or Military Operations as |
1,839 |
|
Use of Schools, Medical, Religious and Other Public |
79,961 |
|
Restriction or Violent Dispersal of Mass Actions, Public |
24,699 |
Table
2:
Victims
of Extrajudicial Killing & Enforced Disappearance
under
the Noynoy Aquino Government
By
Region (July 2010 to June 2016)
|
Region |
Extrajudicial |
Enforced Disappearance |
|
Killing |
||
|
Ilocos |
3 |
|
|
Cordillera Administrative Region |
9 |
|
|
Cagayan Valley |
7 |
2 |
|
Central Luzon |
13 |
1 |
|
National Capital Region |
11 |
|
|
Southern Tagalog |
22 |
4 |
|
Bicol |
66 |
4 |
|
Western Visayas |
18 |
4 |
|
Central Visayas |
4 |
|
|
Eastern Visayas |
17 |
2 |
|
Northern Mindanao |
39 |
|
|
Caraga |
28 |
6 |
|
SoCSKSargen |
9 |
2 |
|
Western Mindanao |
25 |
1 |
|
Southern Mindanao |
52 |
1 |
|
ARMM |
9 |
3 |
|
Total |
332 |
30 |
|
Women |
33 |
0 |
|
Organized |
144 |
13 |