Archives: Media Releases

Victims say reward money for perpetrators is another posturing to cleanse GMA’s dirty HR record before the UN Government must go after the real perpetrators and must stop grandstanding  Farmer Raymond Manalo and Pastor Berlin Guerrero, both victims of abduction and torture by state security forces recounted their ordeal to the UN Committee Against Torture …

Government must go after the real perpetrators and must stop grandstanding Read More »

Government Panel Says Sorry for 20-year delayed report, Lectures UNCAT on Philippine Lawmaking Instead Geneva, Switzerland –The two hour session provided for the Philippine government replies to issues raised by the members of the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UN CAT) in its 42nd Session turned into a class on Political Science 101. Frustration seemed …

Torture victims and rights groups says government lying about not engaging in torture Read More »

Geneva, Switzerland – The rather oversized 27-member Philippine government delegation to the 42nd Session of the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT), headed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, faced a continuous barrage of questions from all ten members of the said Committee after Ermita read the Philippine government report on April 28, the scheduled start …

Philippine Government Showcase Bombarded with a Barrage of Queries from UN Body against Torture Read More »

Geneva, Switzerland – Victims of human rights abuses under the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration traveled all the way to Geneva to tell their stories of torture during the 42nd Session of the UN Committee Against Torture.

No news could be worse than a notorious human rights violator being a member of Congress and the most unpleasant news had to come on the day when his victims were killed six years ago. Retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, Jr. dubbed as “The Butcher” had figured in the killing of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog Secretary General Eden …

Palparan accession to Congress, bad news for human rights Read More »

Today, April 21, the human rights organization KARAPATAN commemorates the 6th anniversary of the killing of one of its exemplary workers, KARAPATAN – Southern Tagalog Secretary General Eden Marcellana, and peasant leader KASAMA-TK Chairman Eddie Gumanoy, by holding a picket in front of the Department of Justice.

Mandaya Hotel, Davao City April 1, 2009 Today, human rights advocates under the aegis of Karapatan, welcome the investigation of the summary execution of the young teacher, Ms. Rebelyn Pitao, by the Commission on Human Rights under the leadership of its current Chairperson Atty. Leila de Lima.  

She had set them free, they who have trampled human dignity.  That is how the human rights group Karapatan sees the policy of President Arroyo towards convicted, unrepentant rapists and her military officials accused of atrocities against civilians. Karapatan said that perhaps the only difference is that Arroyo wanted to give plum positions to her …

Arroyo tolerant of rapists and other human rights violators Read More »

KARAPATAN human rights workers all over the country join the Pitao family and the Filipino people in mourning the brutal death of Rebelyn Pitao. Words are not enough to express our sympathies for Rebelyn’s family and our outrage over the violence that state security forces have inflicted upon her.