FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-FST-023-2017
7 December 2017
A Statement from Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human
Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan (BAYAN-Hong Kong/ Macau) and Promotion of Church People’s
Response (PCPR-Hong Kong) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights
Commission.
PHILIPPINES: Resist the escalating fascism of the Duterte government
Justice for Fr. Tito Paez and all victims of human rights violations!
Stand for peace, Stop the Killings
The Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace
in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Hong
Kong/ Macau) and Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR-Hong
Kong) condemn in the strongest terms the escalating killings in the
Philippines. For the past three days alone, extrajudicial killings
have claimed the lives of church leaders Fr. Marcelito “Tito” Paez
and Pastor Leovelito Quiniones, and eight Lumad in South Cotabato
defending their ancestral land from a Philippine oligarch.
On December 4 at around 8:00 pm, Rev. Fr. Paez was shot while driving
his vehicle at San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija. On that same day, Fr. Tito
has just assisted in facilitating the release of political prisoner
Rommel Tucay who was detained at the BJMP jail in Cabanatuan. During
his stint as a parish priest of Guimba, Fr. Tito was active in
advancing the human rights of people of Nueva Ecija and actively
opposed foreign intervention and the presence of US military troops in
the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Pastor Lovelito Quiñones of the Kings Glory Ministry in,
Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro was shot by soldiers at around 8-8:30pm on
December 3. Pastor Quinones was on his motorcycle, on his way home
after facilitating food distribution and distributing the monthly
supports for the 4Ps – government funded initiative to help the
poorest of the poor in alleviating abject poverty – beneficiaries.
The AFP, in their press statements, said that Pastor Lovelito was an
NPA, an accusation belied by his family and the church. His family
also recounted that the RMG (Regional Mobile Group) planted a .45
caliber pistol to make it appear that the pastor was indeed a member
of NPA. Pastor Quiñones was tested negative during the paraffin test.
In South Cotabato in Mindanao, eight Lumad from the T’boli and
Dulangan Manobo tribes were massacred by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP). The said Lumad were part of the 140 families who
have reoccupied their ancestral lands grabbed from them by the
Consunji Farms for their coffee plantation and logging business.
The spate of killings, disregard for lives and rights, and the state
of impunity show the heightening fascism of the Duterte government
that is fast catching up with human rights violations against
activists and ordinary civilians committed by previous administrations
in the name of various counterinsurgency plans.
After Duterte’s declaration of all-out war against critics of his
government’s anti-people, pro-oligarchs and pro-imperialist
policies, political harassments, military operations and forced
evacuations have intensified especially among peasants and indigenous
peoples.
It seems the worst of Duterte’s fascism and tyranny has yet to come
and the struggling Filipinos have to be ready for even more
intensifying attacks to their lives and livelihood. Under Pres.
Duterte’s command, the military and the police are in killing spree
and make no distinction between armed and unarmed, combatant and
non-combatant. Guns are pointed against human rights, justice and
peace advocates, members of progressive groups and church people
standing in solidarity with people in their struggle for land, jobs,
justice and human rights.
Aside from abandoning the peace negotations with the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Duterte has also declared
the CPP and NPA as terrorist organizations. This further diminished
the hopes of going back to the negotiating table while also making
progressive organizations and individuals vulnerable to prosecution
and extrajudicial actions given the propensity of the government’s
armed machinery to tag anyone opposing as members of the CPP or NPA.
Ultimately, Duterte’s government primary motive is to sow fear and
terror in order to amass huge control of political and economic power
that will pave the way for his anti-people and neoliberal agenda. Even
the most archaic laws are resurrected to justify arrests such as that
of transport group leader George San Mateo whose group PISTON has led
actions to thwart the moves that will deprive jeepney drivers of
livelihood for the benefit of oligarchs and foreign companies.
The Duterte government must be held accountable for these barbaric and
dastardly acts against Fr. Paez, Pastor Quiñones and all victims of
extra-judicial killings and human rights violations.
The Duterte government must realize that there is no amount of
militarization, killings and filing of trumped up charges can stop the
poor, the deprived and the oppressed Filipino people in attaining
justice, human rights and peace. It will only fuel their resistance
against the current structure and aspiration for a society that is
truly humane, just and compassionate.
Justice for Fr. Tito Paez!
Justice for Pastor Lovelito Quiñones!
Justice for all victims of extrajudicial killings!
Continue the peace talks between the GRP and CPP/NPA/NDF
……………..
The views shared in this statement do not necessarily reflect that of
the AHRC.
# # #
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 Forwarded Statement online
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