Human rights in Aquino’s ‘righteous path’

 Human rights in Aquino’s ‘righteous path’

"We have a democracy in name but not in fact.” – Manuel Diokno, president of the Free Legal Action Group
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA –Fr. Fausto Tentorio was finally laid to rest. Well-loved by members of the Manobo tribe whom he served for more than 30 years, Tentorio was shot at eight times by a lone gunman while he was getting into his pick-up truck parked inside a church compound in Arakan Valley, North Cotabato, October 17.

A day after the Italian missionary was murdered, President Benigno S. Aquino III said, “Regardless of who did the crime, they will have to pay. That has been the direction of this administration from the start—you do the crime, you will be in jail.”

Three days after the incident, at the sitio Upper Lumbo, brgy. Kabalantian of the same town,peasant leader Ramon Batoy was shot at close range in front of his pregnant wife and two children by suspected state agents, human rights group Karapatan reported. Col. Joven Gonzales, commanding officer of the 57th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army claimed that the death of Batoy was a result of a legitimate encounter with the New People’s Army (NPA) . Two other civilians, Noli Badol and Celso Batol, were reportedly arrested and tortured by the soldiers.

In his first State of the Nation Address (Sona), Aquino delivered a strong message against impunity. His words, however, have not resulted in stopping human rights abuses. Fifteen months since Aquino assumed the presidency, human rights violations continue. Karapatan documented 54 victims of extrajudicial killings, eight victims of enforced disappearances and 29 victims of torture.

In a report released in July, Human Rights Watch pointed out that there have been only seven successfully prosecuted cases of extrajudicial killings, resulting in the conviction of 12 perpetrators.

The New York-based human rights watchdog added that while the military and police, as well as paramilitary forces, have been implicated in many of these killings, there has not been a single conviction of active military personnel. The group also noted that no senior military officer has been convicted either for direct involvement in these violations or as a matter of command responsibility.

The charges filed in relation to killings of journalists are not promising either.

Apart from the Ampatuan trial, there are 15 cases in court in relation to killings of journalists. Preliminary investigation in the murder of Palawan journalist Gerry Ortega led to the filing of charges against the alleged gunman but the perceived masterminds were dropped from the case.

Prima Quinsayas of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ) said that of the 122 journalists killed in the line of duty since 1986, only ten had convictions. Not one of the masterminds was included, only the gunmen and accomplices, said Quinsayas.

Measures wanting

Aquino did not heed most of the recommendations put forward by various human rights groups. In fact, upon Aquino’s inauguration in June 2010, human rights watchdog Amnesty International put forward concrete recommendations to put an end to the killings.

One of these is the issuance of an executive order that clearly states the administration’s commitment to stop the practice of enforced disappearances in the country. In particular, the group called for the establishment of a presidential commission that will review all cases of extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances during the last decade, in cooperation with independent bodies, with the aim of enabling speedy prosecutions..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/11/03/human-rights-in-aquino%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98righteous-path%e2%80%99/