Over 500 human rights advocates have called for an end to the spate of killings of activists and government critics under the Duterte administration.
They issued a collective statement raising alarm over what they claimed to be “the increasing use of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) against activists, political dissenters, and members of the opposition.”
(Anakpawis / KMP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
This was signed by lawyers, artists, lawmakers, religious leaders, environmental defenders, medical professionals, and social activists.
They said the killings of peace advocate Randall Echanis, human rights defender Zara Alvarez, and Bayan Muna regional coordinator Joy Porquia highlighted the growing EJK cases in the Philippines.
The three victims had been red-tagged, or implicated as members of communist armed group New People’s Army by authorities, before they were killed.
“The spate of political killings follow the pattern of EJKs against suspected drug users and pushers,” they said.
The human right advocates demanded an impartial and independent investigation into the killings of Echanis, Alvarez, and Porquia, as well as other EJK victims.
“The perpetrators of these killings and their protectors should be held accountable and punished. Only in this way will the reign of tyranny and impunity end,” the signatories said.
They also called on President Duterte himself to denounce the killings and order a stop to the killings.
“He should stop inciting the police and military and even ordinary civilians to commit such horrible acts,” they said.
The rights advocates made the call after 62 local and international organizations expressed grave concern over the “ongoing extrajudicial executions and other serious human rights violations” in the country last week.
Among the signatories are opposition Senators Francis Pangilinan, Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, House Minority Leader Rep. Bienvenido Abante, and other opposition congressmen namely Carlos Zarate, Edcel Lagman, Kit Belmonte, and Gabriel Bordado Jr.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Sr. Mary John Mananzan, Bro. Armin Luistro, Makabayan bloc, and lawyers from the National Union of People’s Lawyers, Free Legal Assistance Group and the Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties were also signatories.