Justice Secretary Leila de Lima received no birthday greeting from the progressive groups on Thursday. “We could not greet her Happy Birthday because the human rights situation in the country is not ‘happy.’ The lumads are not happy. The farmers are not happy,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr.
Progressive groups had staged a picket in front of the Department of Justice (DOJ) building along Padre Faura, Manila, the day De Lima celebrated her 56th birthday. Instead of birthday cards, they showed placards and crosses to protest the worsening human rights violations under the Aquino administration. Escalating harassments and trumped-up charges are being filed against leaders of the progressive movement, according to Reyes.
Charges of illegal detention and child abuse were filed against Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate along with eight others in Davao City.
Around 700 tribesfolk from Talaingod, Davao del Norte had taken shelter at the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) Haran Compound in Davao City due to the presence of military troops in their local communities.
On July 23, North Cotobato Representative Nancy Catamco, who chairs the House committee on the indigenous peoples, directed a team of policemen to raid the compound. Violence erupted as the evacuees resisted the extraction attempt.
New wave of political repression and killings
“There are already 12 victims of extrajudicial killings in the month of August alone, and it happened within a two-week period,” revealed Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
Karapatan-Sorsogon spokesperson Teodoro “Ka Tudoy” Escanilla was included in the list. On August 19, the 63-year old human rights worker and radio broadcaster was gunned down by still unidentified assailants in his home in Barcelona, Sorsogon.
There were numerous documented incidents of harassments and surveillance on Escanilla since 2003. It had intensified during Aquino’s term.
“The practice of tagging of human rights workers as ‘enemies of the state’ has continued from the term of Arroyo to Aquino,” said Palabay.
“We are alarmed that this may start of a new wave of political repression and killings perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the Aquino government,” she added.
Karapatan has already documented 13 cases of massacres during Aquino’s term, two of which occurred this month, in Masbate and Bukidnon, claiming the lives of nine civilians. Two of them were minors.
In a recent interview with ANC, de Lima announced that she is 80% sure of seeking a Senatorial post for the 2016 elections.
She sang “That’s What Friends Are For” in what appeared to be a Liberal Party campaign sortie at the University of Cebu on August 24.
“Mahirap talaga kapag nababahiran ng kulay dilaw,” said Palabay.
Not a single case of human rights violations has been resolved during her watch
“Yellow, as the political color of this administration, would mean governance that does not deliver justice. Not a single case of human rights violations has been resolved during her watch,” she decried.
De Lima was appointed chairperson of Commission on Human Rights during the Arroyo regime. She was later appointed secretary of DOJ under Aquino.
Criminalization of political offenses
Meanwhile, the progressive groups also trooped to the Manila Regional Trial Court calling for the release of National Democratic Front consultant Adelberto Silva.
Silva was arrested, along with his wife Sharon Cabusao and Isidro de Lima, on June 1, 2015 in Bacoor, Cavite, by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police (CIDG-PNP).
Criminal charges including multiple murder were filed against Silva in connection with the Hilongos mass grave in Leyte. The same case was used to arrest former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo way back in 2007.
Palabay criticized the Supreme Court for disregaring the Hernandez doctrine. The said doctrine is an established court ruling that political offenders or those suspected of political crimes should not be charged, detained, nor convicted of common crimes.
“Activists are targetted and civilians are considered collateral damage. The DOJ’s inaction to massacres and extrajudicial killings encourages, or even heightens the state of impunity,” she said.###
