Today, International Human Rights Day, families of victims of human
rights violations gather at the University of the Philippines grounds
to confer to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the MEDALYA DE HORROR for being
the No. 1 human rights violator in the country.
"For the victims and their families, this is the award Gloria
rightfully deserves" declared Evangeline Hernandez, spokesperson of
HUSTISYA, mother of slain activist Beng Hernandez.
Today, International Human Rights Day, families of victims of human
rights violations gather at the University of the Philippines grounds
to confer to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the MEDALYA DE HORROR for being
the No. 1 human rights violator in the country.
"For the victims and their families, this is the award Gloria
rightfully deserves" declared Evangeline Hernandez, spokesperson of
HUSTISYA, mother of slain activist Beng Hernandez.
The victims’ organizations made the awarding in response to the Medalla
de Oro bestowed to Arroyo by the Unibersidad de Alcala in Spain. The
medal made of skull and bones signifies the gory state of human rights
in the Philippines.
"Extrajudicial killings continue and have obscenely increased in the
past years. Arroyo had done nothing to stop this," said Hernandez, "We
are very hurt, the award given to Arroyo by the Spanish University is
another stab to our wounds of loss," Hernandez exclaimed.
"Where is their sense of justice?" asked Erlinda Cadapan, mother of
Sherlyn Cadapan, one of the two UP students abducted and disappeared.
"Labelling Arroyo as a champion of human rights is another injustice
for us who are still searching for our missing loved ones.
"She may be lauded by a people and government who are blind to the
real situation on human rights in the country, but for those who were
awakened by the violence of Arroyo’s state terror, she is an epitome of
horror." Cadapan concluded.###