FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
AHRC-PRL-008-2017
A Press Release by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion
of Human Rights Day
PHILIPPINES: Massive protests against human rights violation under
Duterte’s violent presidency
(Hong Kong, 9 December 2017) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
has been informed that different human rights groups across the
country will hold protests and a series of other events tomorrow,
December 10, to mark the International Human Rights Day.
Today, the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
(Karapatan), an alliance of human rights NGOs and people’s
organizations, holds demonstrations they dubbed as “What’s cooking
up in Malacanang?” Their protest is an attempt to satirized
President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown, not only of his political
opponents, but constitutional bodies with powers to check his abuse.
In their statement, Karapatan said President Duterte’s actions are
recipes for a “full blown dictatorship”, if he succeeds. One of
these is Duterte and his political ally’s ongoing action to impeach
Philippine Supreme Court chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Also today, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra),
another alliance of human rights groups, holds an "Alab ng Puso"
concert, which aims to encourage Filipinos to stand up and defend
human rights. Pahra’s partner organization, iDEFEND (In Defense of
Human Rights and Dignity Movement), said this event is meant to raise
awareness on the importance of human rights, freedom and justice, and
to stimulate outcry.
Tomorrow, Pahra and its partner organizations will hold protest
actions in Metro Manila. Protest actions will also be held in major
cities in Luzon, the Visayas and in Mindanao, including in Duterte’s
hometown, Davao. Pahra said these protests are meant to “counter the
government’s narratives of being pro-poor”. They are meant to
amplify a public outcry against human rights violations committed in
the country.
Meanwhile, Karapatan’s satirized protest is a prelude to a much
bigger demonstration to mark the international human rights day,
inside and outside the country. Outside the capital, Karapatan is
expected to mobilize 7,000 demonstrators in Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo
cities, all in Panay Island, in the Visayas. In Bicol region, about
30,000 demonstrators are expected to join.
Outside the country, the International Coalition for Human Rights in
the Philippines (ICHRP), a coalition advocating for human rights and
peace in the Philippines, will hold protests. In Japan, Hong Kong,
South Korea and Australia in East Asia and the Pacific. In Italy,
Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands in Europe, and in Canada.
ICHRP is Karapatan’s network of international organizations.
Meanwhile, the AHRC strongly supports these protests actions by local
and international groups to draw attention to the worsening state of
human rights in the country. The AHRC considers Duterte’s presidency
as the most violent and politically intolerant since Marcos.
Duterte’s crackdown on criminals and addicts, and the renewed
killings of legal leftist after peace talks collapse with the
communists, is a dangerous combination distinctive to his leadership.
“No president in Philippine history has ever combined, and still
gets away with it, routine killings in national scale of supposed
criminals and addicts, under drug war; and human rights defenders and
leftists political activists, the supposed terrorists. Only Duterte
has done that and continue to do so, as we speak”, the AHRC said.
The Philippines attracted the world’s attention in early 2016 with
unprecedented level of killings by law enforcement agencies since
President Duterte came to power. These killings are linked to his
campaign to crackdown on drugs, which led to a wave of unlawful
killings across the country. Many of these killings have amounted to
extrajudicial executions, a persistent pattern in the country’s
long-standing problem of impunity by abusive state security forces.
The International Human Rights Day is an annual event to mark adoption
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
# # #
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) works towards the radical
rethinking and fundamental redesigning of justice institutions in
order to protect and promote human rights in Asia. Established in
1984, the Hong Kong based organisation is a Laureate of the Right
Livelihood Award, 2014.
Read this Statement online
<http://www.humanrights.asia/
PRESS RELEASE
AHRC-PRL-008-2017
A Press Release by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion
of Human Rights Day
PHILIPPINES: Massive protests against human rights violation under
Duterte’s violent presidency
(Hong Kong, 9 December 2017) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
has been informed that different human rights groups across the
country will hold protests and a series of other events tomorrow,
December 10, to mark the International Human Rights Day.
Today, the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
(Karapatan), an alliance of human rights NGOs and people’s
organizations, holds demonstrations they dubbed as “What’s cooking
up in Malacanang?” Their protest is an attempt to satirized
President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown, not only of his political
opponents, but constitutional bodies with powers to check his abuse.
In their statement, Karapatan said President Duterte’s actions are
recipes for a “full blown dictatorship”, if he succeeds. One of
these is Duterte and his political ally’s ongoing action to impeach
Philippine Supreme Court chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Also today, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra),
another alliance of human rights groups, holds an "Alab ng Puso"
concert, which aims to encourage Filipinos to stand up and defend
human rights. Pahra’s partner organization, iDEFEND (In Defense of
Human Rights and Dignity Movement), said this event is meant to raise
awareness on the importance of human rights, freedom and justice, and
to stimulate outcry.
Tomorrow, Pahra and its partner organizations will hold protest
actions in Metro Manila. Protest actions will also be held in major
cities in Luzon, the Visayas and in Mindanao, including in Duterte’s
hometown, Davao. Pahra said these protests are meant to “counter the
government’s narratives of being pro-poor”. They are meant to
amplify a public outcry against human rights violations committed in
the country.
Meanwhile, Karapatan’s satirized protest is a prelude to a much
bigger demonstration to mark the international human rights day,
inside and outside the country. Outside the capital, Karapatan is
expected to mobilize 7,000 demonstrators in Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo
cities, all in Panay Island, in the Visayas. In Bicol region, about
30,000 demonstrators are expected to join.
Outside the country, the International Coalition for Human Rights in
the Philippines (ICHRP), a coalition advocating for human rights and
peace in the Philippines, will hold protests. In Japan, Hong Kong,
South Korea and Australia in East Asia and the Pacific. In Italy,
Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands in Europe, and in Canada.
ICHRP is Karapatan’s network of international organizations.
Meanwhile, the AHRC strongly supports these protests actions by local
and international groups to draw attention to the worsening state of
human rights in the country. The AHRC considers Duterte’s presidency
as the most violent and politically intolerant since Marcos.
Duterte’s crackdown on criminals and addicts, and the renewed
killings of legal leftist after peace talks collapse with the
communists, is a dangerous combination distinctive to his leadership.
“No president in Philippine history has ever combined, and still
gets away with it, routine killings in national scale of supposed
criminals and addicts, under drug war; and human rights defenders and
leftists political activists, the supposed terrorists. Only Duterte
has done that and continue to do so, as we speak”, the AHRC said.
The Philippines attracted the world’s attention in early 2016 with
unprecedented level of killings by law enforcement agencies since
President Duterte came to power. These killings are linked to his
campaign to crackdown on drugs, which led to a wave of unlawful
killings across the country. Many of these killings have amounted to
extrajudicial executions, a persistent pattern in the country’s
long-standing problem of impunity by abusive state security forces.
The International Human Rights Day is an annual event to mark adoption
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
# # #
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) works towards the radical
rethinking and fundamental redesigning of justice institutions in
order to protect and promote human rights in Asia. Established in
1984, the Hong Kong based organisation is a Laureate of the Right
Livelihood Award, 2014.
Read this Statement online
<http://www.humanrights.asia/
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