On November 23, two years to the day from the 2009 killing of 58 people in Maguindanao, Filipino lawyer and journalist, Carlos Zarate, Stefan Antor, a judge formerly of the European Union-Philippines Justice Support Programme (EPJUST), Jim Boumelha, president of the International Federation of Journalists, and CHRP UK chair Mark Dearn will speak at “Never Forget”, at the Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre, London.

Since the party of 58 people – including 34 journalists – were murdered en route to filing Ismael Mangudadatu’s candidacy for mayoral elections, there have been no successful prosecutions. Former local ruling family the Ampatuans have been put on trial, but the process has been dogged by delays, while many of the 195 accused remain at large.

While the Maguindanao killings highlight the way in which provincial rulers needed by national government – whether to win elections or fight insurgencies – can act with disdain for human life and the rule of law, there remain a number of human rights abuses in which the military is culpable. Human Rights Watch documents seven extrajudicial killings and three enforced disappearances carried out by the military since President Aquino came to power in 2010, with no convictions.

This year also marks the end of the 18-month, E3.9 million, EPJUST project. Implemented to help improve institutional capability around investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of human rights violations, such overseas technical assistance initiatives should be actively encouraged by the government.

By examining the lack of progress in prosecuting the alleged perpetrators and in this and many other cases of human rights violations, CHRP urges the Philippine government to act on its commitment to stopping human rights abuses and help enable the successful prosecution of human rights abusers.

CHRP believes that the 58 killings in Maguindanao in 2009 were an expected outcome of a tacit policy of supporting provincial rulers and granting them immunity from the law – as highlighted by the legacy of killings, torture and abduction that have been documented to have occurred over the course of 20 years at the hands of the Ampatuans.

“The ‘Maguindanao massacre’ was a stark evocation of the culture of impunity around abuses of human rights in the Philippines,” said CHRP chair Mark Dearn. “The lack of progress made in prosecuting the killings is a reminder of the changes needed in the judicial system.

“Being a democracy goes far beyond holding elections. The Aquino government must act on its promises and initiate the reforms long-needed to create the fair and transparent political and legal systems that will best serve the Philippine people.

“President Aquino must bring an end to the culture of impunity around human rights violations that persists in the Philippines since his election. Perpetrators of such violations must be brought to justice, and the government must work hand-in-hand with the military, police, civil society and the legal establishment to this end.”

Links for more info:
http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=2302
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=177256159025114

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

17 February 2011 at 6-8pm

Eva-Lotta Hedman* will be at the AGM as a resource person in the informal discussion on the current development in the Philippines and a view of the Philippine government under President B. Aquino Jr.

Venue:

Room B104

Brunell bldg., SOAS

Thornhaugh street

London WC1H

Near Russell Square station

*Eva Lotta Hedman is a research fellow at London School of Economics – IDEAS and Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford University, Refugee Studies Centre.

FREE Refreshments/drinks!!! Contact: info@chrp.org.uk

Tickets are at 10GBP, inclusive of film, dinner and dance (after the filmshow).

For enquiries please contact Kanlungan and/or CHRP.

To know more about the film and the show, click on the picture.

For a list of activities of this event click here:

]]> http://www.chrp.org.uk/2010/enforced-disappearances-philippines/feed/ 2 http://www.chrp.org.uk/2010/filipinos-mobilise-british-union-on-impunity-in-the-philippines/ http://www.chrp.org.uk/2010/filipinos-mobilise-british-union-on-impunity-in-the-philippines/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:36:02 +0000 admin http://www.chrp.org.uk/?p=212

London, June 2010

UK Filipinos mobilized inside one of Britain’s largest and most powerful trade unions last week, succeeding in getting its support for trade union rights in the Philippines and hosting a packed fringe meeting.

At the UNISON conference in Bournemouth held from June 14 – 18, Filipino workers for the first time addressed the more than 2,000 delegates, condemning the appalling human rights abuses suffered by workers in the Philippines and urging delegates to sign Motion 101.

Meanwhile, at the fringe meeting, ‘Violation of Trade Union Rights in the Philippines’, jointly hosted by Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines (CHRP), Amnesty International UK and UNISON, speakers informed delegates of the human rights situation in the Philippines and its links with migration and economic issues, also pressing delegates to sign the later passed motion calling on the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) to seek greater linkages between UNISON and trade union movements in the Philippines, as well as working with the Filipino diaspora  in combating trade and human rights violations in the country, pressuring the UK government to take a stronger line with the Philippines government and raising awareness of the situation in the Philippines.

In the main conference hall, Filipina Josefina Paez, from Wolverhampton, highlighted the case of Edward Panganiban. She told delegates that:

“Filipino workers in the Philippines, like British workers, want to improve their pay and working conditions so they can provide better education, a better future and a decent standard of living for their families.

“As a migrant worker, these are also my aspirations. As a union activist in the UK, I can pursue these aspirations with the support of my union, UNISON and with the help of fellow trade unionists, without fear of being killed or harm coming to my family.”

Dong Dumilag, a Filipino living in Cardiff, Wales, spoke to delegates about the case of the ‘Morong 43’, pointing out to the conference that the case was taken by friends and relatives to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council in Geneva during the preceding week.

He said: “We want to campaign for the new government to stop impunity in the Philippines, prosecute those responsible for the murder and disappearances of workers, and to implement a sustainable economic programme so that Filipino workers are not forced to leave their country to earn a decent living.”

At the fringe meeting, a panel chaired by Amnesty International Trade Union Campaign Manager Shane Enright, joined by guest speaker Dan Borjal, Kevin O’Grady of the UNISON NEC International Committee, Jam Fagta of Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines and Amnesty International Secretariat Southeast Asia Researcher Hazel Galang spoke to a packed room of delegates before engaging in a lively question and answer session.

Mr Borjal, who flew in from Holland to address the fringe meeting, urged delegates to condemn the culture of impunity that surrounds extra-judicial killings in the Philippines, highlighting the job scarcity, privatization and union busting techniques – including assassination – that pervade the country. Delegates were also reminded of the massacre of more than 50 people in Maguindanao in November last year and given an overview of the current political and economic situation in the Philippines.

Both speeches and the fringe meeting had a strong impact on delegates, with the union unanimously adopting a resolution supporting a campaign against impunity in the Philippines – the first time it has adopted any policy on the Philippines.

Around 250,000 Filipinos work in the UK, more than half in the health sector and public services: it is now apparent that they are emerging as an organized force ready to mobilize on issues of social justice back home.

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Notes to Editors:

• The Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines was set up in July 2006 in response to the increasing number of political killings and human rights abuses taking place in the Philippines. Our objectives are: To put pressure on the Philippines Government to stop the political killings and defend human rights in the Philippines; to raise awareness in the UK about political repression in the Philippines with the aim of putting pressure on the Philippines Government to respect human rights; to spotlight British investment and trade links which benefit from human rights violations in the Philippines; to make links between the issues of poverty and political oppression in the Philippines and the situation of Filipino migrants in the UK.
• UNISON Britain and Europe’s biggest public sector union with more than 1.3 million members working in the public services, for private contractors providing public services and in the essential utilities. Members include frontline staff and managers working full or part time in local authorities, the NHS, the police service, colleges and schools, the electricity, gas and water industries, transport and the voluntary sector.

For more general information, please visit:

www.chrp.org.uk

www.karapatan.org

For more information on UNISON, please visit:

http://www.unison.org.uk/

For more information on the case of Edward Panganiban or the ‘Morong 43’, please visit:

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2010/3485/

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/06/18/10/noynoy-urged-release-morong-43

Contact details:

To arrange an interview, or for more information or pictures, contact Mark Dearn or Andy Whitmore.

Telephone (available out of hours ): (+44) 0775 439 5597

Email: comms@chrp.org.uk