"What’s at stake here is not GMA’s rights but the rights of the people"—this was the statement of GMA’s lawyers when the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration officials stopped her from leaving the country.
GMA and her cohorts do not have the right to talk about “people’s rights.” Did they ever think of this when hundreds of killings, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations were committed under her regime?
"What’s at stake here is not GMA’s rights but the rights of the people"—this was the statement of GMA’s lawyers when the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration officials stopped her from leaving the country.
GMA and her cohorts do not have the right to talk about “people’s rights.” Did they ever think of this when hundreds of killings, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations were committed under her regime?
GMA’s case should not set a precedent. High-ranking military and police officials of her administration cannot get away with their crimes against the people and are liable for gross human rights violations.
Apparently, the Arroyos cannot wait to leave. They appeared to have multiple flight bookings and they were able to file the 2-million peso cash bond shortly after the Supreme Court released the TRO–a clear manifestation of a pre-meditated attempt to abscond the pending investigation on the cases filed against her.
While some political prisoners continue to languish in jail need to pass through a needle’s eye to seek medical treatment, GMA easily got Supreme Court’s nod on her TRO petition.
Rolando Pañamogan, 47, a leader of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in Baybay, Leyte was illegally arrested in January 2002. He is at the New Bilibid Prisons. He faced fabricated charges of murder and frustrated murder and was later convicted to life imprisonment. He has been in and out of the NBP hospital because of diabetes, toxic goiter and congestive heart disease.
Crisanto Tomarse Fat, 48 year-old political prisoner jailed at the Negros Provincial jail died because of heart ailment. He was among the 28 political prisoners who are sick and should have been released for humanitarian reasons had this government heeded our call to release all political prisoners.
We will hold the Aquino government responsible should GMA be able to leave the country and escape from her accountabilities to the Filipino people. The Aquino government, in more than a year, failed to prosecute the cases filed against GMA. President Aquino had more than enough time to act on the complaints but none have been formally lodged in Court.
Should GMA escape, the Aquino government is liable to the Filipino people for robbing the human rights victims of whatever little chance they have to get justice. ###