The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has called on the global community to stay alert of the human rights situation in the country.
The ICHRP made the appeal during a roundtable discussion held Friday night, October 8, as a follow-up to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s update on the country at the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC).
Last Thursday, October 7, Bachelet presented her oral report on the country to the UNHRC, one year after the UN inter-governmental body passed a resolution to provide technical cooperation and capacity-building to the Philippine government for the protection of human rights.
Bachelet recognized the UN Joint Program for technical assistance and capacity-building on human rights adopted last July 22. She also considered the ongoing lack of accountability for the killings and rights violations in the counterinsurgency program; continuing harassment, threats and killings of human rights defenders, church workers, environmental and land rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, farmers and lawyers. She even cited the killing of nine indigenous Tumandok leaders on Panay Island last December 30, 2020, and the killing of nine community leaders during the 'Bloody Sunday' operation conducted by the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army last March 7. She maintained her criticism of the Duterte administration’s red-tagging against activists, media and other well-known personalities, and called for an end to the hate language during the evolving national election campaign.
The ICHRP has also endorsed Bachelet’s comment that the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber to open an investigation in the Philippines is a significant indication of the inadequate, if not non-existent, domestic remedies in the country.
ICHRP Global Chairperson Peter Murphy added that the findings could help the ICC to address the alarming human rights situation in the country.
Among the resource speakers who gave their comments in the meeting were Karen Curtis of International Life, Jan Fermon of Interforum, Sen. Jane Rice of the Australia Parliament, Jeroen Beirnaert of the International Trade Union Confederation, Severine De Laveleye of the Belgium Parliament, Bishop Rex Reyes Jr. of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and National Council of Churches in the Philippines and journalist Lady Ann Salem.
The speakers were all one in calling for the global community's attention to stop human rights violations in the Philippines.
"This is awful stuff happening in the Philippines. The brazen and brutal attack on the Filipino people by the Duterte government must stop, especially the crime of being poor," said Rice, a legislator for Victoria.
"We must suspend and apply pressure on the (Duterte) government. We cannot allow these brutal attacks to continue. We need to speak the truth and take powerful action," she added.
The ICHRP is a global network of organizations concerned about the human rights situation in the Philippines and committed to campaign for just and lasting peace in the country.
It aims to inform the international community about the grave human rights situation in the country today. Beyond information dissemination, it also calls on freedom loving peoples, organizations, political parties and governments all over the world to express their concern about the still deteriorating human rights situation in the country and to help the victims in their quest for justice.
The event, organized by ICHRP, was co-sponsored by IBON International, the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, United Church of Canada, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, Karapatan, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, and Education International. (Melvin Sarangay)