The Makabayan bloc in Congress on Monday, January 9 expressed hope that the perjury charges filed against 10 human rights defenders would be dismissed.
In a statement, the group reiterated their belief that the filing of perjury cases against the human rights defenders is a clear act of retaliation and further harassment by the previous administration of then President Rodrigo Duterte and should be dismissed.
“We urge the court to recognize the malicious nature of this case and to protect the democratic processes and the rights of the human rights defenders,” the group stated.
A local Quezon City court is set to decide on the perjury case which were filed by former National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. in July 2019.
According to the Makabayan bloc, these leaders from Karapatan, an alliance of individuals, groups and organizations working for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines, Gabriela, an organization of Filipino women, primarily from marginalized sectors of society, and helps educate and empower them to fight for their rights and interests through collective action, and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) have been working tirelessly to defend the human rights of the people of the Philippines.
Therefore, they said it is unacceptable that they are now facing the possibility of imprisonment for more than two years due to a simple misunderstanding or flaw in government bureaucracy.
Three Church leaders are among the 10 human rights advocates who were charged, namely: Sr. Elenita Belardo, Revd. Wilfredo Ruazol, and Dr. Edith Burgos.
They, along with Karapatan's Elisa Tita Lubi, Cristina Palabay, Roneo Clamor and Gabriela's Krista Dalena, Jose Mari Callueng, Gertrudes Ranjo Libang, and Joan May Salvador, filed a petition to the Supreme Court in May of 2019 seeking protection through a Writ of Amparo and access to any information against them through a Writ of Habeas Data.
Unfortunately, Makabayan bloc noted this was passed on to the Court of Appeals (CA) and the CA denied these writs in June 2019.
“The freedom of human rights defenders to speak out against threats, harassment, and other abuses is essential to the protection of human rights in the Philippines, and we stand with these brave advocates in their fight for justice,” they stressed.
“Let the court prove that justice in the Philippines is not just for the rich and the powerful but for everyone who are defending the people's rights,” the group further emphasized.