A day after the Sandiganbayan handed over the guilty verdict of ousted President Joseph Estrada on plunder charges, the human rights alliance Karapatan said “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, like Erap, must answer for her crimes too.”
Karapatan was one of the first few organizations that called for Estrada’s ouster due to human rights violations caused by the regime’s Oplan Makabayan.
A day after the Sandiganbayan handed over the guilty verdict of ousted President Joseph Estrada on plunder charges, the human rights alliance Karapatan said “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, like Erap, must answer for her crimes too.”
Karapatan was one of the first few organizations that called for Estrada’s ouster due to human rights violations caused by the regime’s Oplan Makabayan.
Speaking on behalf of the many victims of human rights violations that it assists, Karapatan said, “We hope to see the day when Macapagal-Arroyo will be charged and arrested for massive civil, political and human rights violations. We may be dreaming, but we also hope that Gloria be the first president to be convicted, by domestic courts for her heinous crimes against the people.”
Before her term is over in 2010 and she can be criminally charged, the Supreme Court must make AFP Commander-In-Chief Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to answer the writ of habeas petition filed by Mrs. Edita Burgos for the enforced disappearance of her son Jonas. Mrs. Arroyo was named respondent in the said petition along with AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon and other military officials.
If Congress can muster another impeachment complaint before her term ends, they will do service and justice not only to the families of 886 victims of extrajudicial killings and 184 victims of enforced disappearance but they will help prevent more people being victimized by her undeclared martial law.
Karapatan said, “We want her out of Malacañng and thrown behind bars at the soonest possible time for the terrorism and havoc she has wrought because of Oplan Bantay Laya I and II.” ###