Picket rally on the 35th anniversary of Martial Law in front of the main gate of Palais de Nations in Geneva, Sept. 21, 2007

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Martial  Law, Migrante-Switzerland members and their friends from various solidarity groups, joined in by members of the Philippine NGO delegation to the UNHRC 6th Session, picketed the Palais de Nations in Geneva to bring to the attention of the international diplomatic community the cases of disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

The picketers timed the activity at 5pm when diplomats and members of their diplomatic corps and staff
attending the UNHRC session were trooping out of the gates of the Palais de Nations. Some tourists were
also milling around the fountain and sculpture where the picketers pasted the photos of those disappeared.

◄ Swiss police inquired on the activity. They just watched from a close distance.
 

▲In the evening, a forum was held with Mrs.Edith Burgos, Susan Cruz of Bayan and Karapatn-Central Luzon and Atty. Edre U. Olalia, Special Legal Consultant of Karapatan for UN Mechanisms as speakers. Swiss rights lawyer Jean Paul Garbade (who helped in the Marcos Swiss bank deposits issue), prominent woman activist Verena Graf whose group LIDLIP (International League for the Rights and Liberation of People) is a member of the Permanent People's Tribunal. Two members of the Philippine Mission also attended the forum.
 

A group of Filipino human rights defenders, led by Karapatan Secretary General Marie Hilao-Enriquez, attended the UN Human Rights Council Session and lobbied for help on the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines.

Among the members of the Philippine delegation of HR Defenders are Mrs. Edita Burgos (mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos), Atty. Edre Olalia (Special Legal Consultant for Karapatan on UN Mechanisms and President of International Association of People's Lawyers) and Ms. Susan Cruz of Bayan Central-Luzon.

▲ Marie Enriquez of KARAPATAN shared the case of detained Angie Ipong and read the Oral Intervention of Philippine NGOS before the plenary UNHR Council 6th Session at Palais de Nations. The 30-minute statement was submitted through the World Council of Churches joined by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, the Asian Human Rights Commission and unrepresented nations and people's
organizations.
 

■   Speech by Verena Graf of the International League for the rights and liberation of peoples

■   Oral intervention on item 4 of the Human Rights Council

PRESS RELEASE –September 25, 2007

Reference:   Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General (Mobile No. 09178176274)

         Ruth Cervantes, Public Information Officer (Mobile No. 09189790580)

Karapatan’s Enriquez reports to UNHRC

on the continuing extrajudicial killings in the Philippines

Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday afternoon in Geneva (September 24, 11PM Philippine time), Karapatan Secretary General Marie Hilao-Erniquez reported that the killings have not stopped and that “the measures implemented by the Philippine government did not and will not resolve the killings.”

Enriquez said that from January to July 2007, there were 60 cases of extrajudicial executions and that from January to June 2007 there were 17 cases of disappearances, 12 cases of torture, 113 cases of illegal arrests and thousands became victims of forced evacuation. 

Karapatan attributes the unabated human rights violations to the two underlying causes already pointed out by Prof. Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajdicial Killings, who visited the Philippines in February this year and issued his initial report in March.

Enriquez said, “The Arroyo government to this day continues with the ‘vilification’ of most groups on the left of the political spectrum as ‘front organizations’ for the armed groups thereby rendering such groups to be accordingly considered to be legitimate targets.”

The second cause identified by Alston and is still presently in effect are the aspects of the “Government’s counter-insurgency strategy that encourage or facilitate the extrajudicial killings of activists and other ‘enemies’ in certain circumstances.”

Enriquez, who spoke on behalf of the entire Philippine NGO delegation, including Mrs. Edita Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos, told the UNHRC “Mrs. Burgos and other members of our NGO delegation made the long trip here to Geneva to beseech this Council to prevail upon the Philippine government to make good its commitments in the pledges it made to the General Assembly when it sought reelection to this Council in May of this year.”

Enriquez also called to mind the declaration of martial law in the Philippines 35 years ago on September 21 and said that “the impunity by which violations were committed by state security forces at that time continues to this day even as martial law survivors have not been recognized and indemnified by this administration which just made promises to do so.”

Calling on the attention of the UNHRC, Enriquez said, “Our country has long been depicted as a democracy in Southeast Asia and as such it must be compelled to adhere to human rights standards and international humanitarian laws. It must resolve cases of human rights violations and render justice to victims.  We hope that the Human Rights Council bears this record in mind when the Philippine government is reviewed under the Universal Periodic Review.”

The statement made by Enriquez before the UNHRC was supported by the World Council of Churches, the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.###

Download statement in Word format

Marie Hilao-Enriquez and Mrs Burgos

with the Brazilian ambassador to the UN.

Filing a formal complaint with the  UN Working Group

on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID).

Photos at the Palais de Wilson office of the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID).

The Philippine NGO group of Marie Enriquez, Susan Cruz and Atty. Edre U. Olalia (Secretary General of Karapatan, Bayan and Central Luzon-Karapatan and Karapatan Special Legal Consultant on UN Mechanisms, respectively) joined the mother of Jonas Burgos, Mrs. Edith Burgos, to personally file and speak with Ms. Claudia De La Fuente, Associate Human Rights Officer of the UN WGEID at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Enriquez and Cruz briefed the WGEID Officer about the disappearances in the Philippines and the other serious human rights violations that continue. They highlighted the case of Sherryln Cadapan and Karen Empeno.
 

Claudia de la Fuente of UN WGEID receives formal complaint from Mrs. Burgos ►►►

On Sept. 20, Atty Edre Olalia, Special Legal Consultant of KARAPATAN, met with Ms. Valentina Milano, Associate Human Rights Officer at the UN OHCHR and representative of Mr.
Leandro Despouy (Argentina), the UN Special Rapporteur
on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

Atty. Olalia updated Ms. Milano and informed her that one year
after they first met almost the same time last year also at Palais Wilson in Geneva, CODAL has received reports of 7 more lawyers, 2 judges and 1 law student who have been killed. Of these, 1 lawyer and law student were directly involved in human rights practice while 7 of the 8 lawyers threatened in various ways were into human rights advocacy.

Ms.Milano was also informed about the newly-formed National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) where the Congress heard even personal testimonies from more human rights lawyers who have been or are still under threat and attack by virtue of the exercise of their profession especially those into human right lawyering. She was also informed that the NUPL has set up a
National Committee on the Welfare and Protection of Lawyers.

She was also given a copy of the video "Lawyering for the People: Pushing the Parameters" as well as the Karapatan latest human rights report for Jan-Aug 2007.

Ms. Milano was also updated on the continuing violations of human rights on other individuals, the initiatives of the Supreme Court to address the same, and the impunity of the perpetrators.
 

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