PRESS RELEASE

(For immediate release)

09 November 2007

Mariannet’s death depicts bad state of Philippine economy and governance, says KABIBA

New shoes, schoolbag, bicycle, jobs for her parents, alleviation from poverty are not just simple wishes of Marianet Amper, 11-year old girl-child who hanged herself on November 2 due to desperation of her family’s miserable poverty. Her wishes are actually the child’s desire to actualize her fundamental right to education, recreation and economic survival that are supposedly due to all Filipino children.

This is the viewpoint of Honey May Suazo, Executive Secretary of Kabiba Alliance for Children’s Concerns in Mindanao. Suazo stressed that the death of Mariannet represents the true state of the nation because children’s situation are indicators of how good or bad the country’s economy and governance are.

Suazo chided the statement of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a media interview dismissing the incident as isolated case. “It is a calloused statement that is trying to portray that the Arroyo government is really serious in addressing poverty and hunger. The government is in state of denial that its so-called anti-poverty and anti-hunger program is a big sham. How would the government explain the report of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) that 17.55% is the Philippine’s Global Hunger Index and 11-million people are living in extreme poverty?”, she added.

“Even though the government has ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release PhP 1-billion to accelerate the government’s so-called hunger-mitigation and anti-poverty program but child-focused groups view it as palliative measure that is not sustainable. The problem of poverty and hunger are not just a problem of budget allocation but a structural problem brought about by the government’s anti-people and anti-children economic policies such as liberalization, privatization and deregulation. Further, so many anti-poverty programs with corresponding budget had been launched by the government but merely end-up into PR tactics for political mileage and source of corruption”, said the Kabiba executive.

The sad story of Mariannet depicts the sad situation of the Filipino children. Children’s wishes are simple that must be given primary concern of the Arroyo government rather than acting like a bad Santa Claus giving cash gifts amounting to PhP 500,000 as bribe money to her political allies in order to ensure its political survival.#

For reference:

HONEY MAY SUAZO

Executive Secretary

KABIBA Alliance for Children’s Concerns in Mindanao

Contact number: 09284917899 or (082) 2994596

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Nov. 10, 2007, Mannet's burial at the Ma-a Cemetery, surrounded by the Amper family, and Mannet's classmates (Grade 6 pupils).

Ms. Suazo (KABIBA) during an interview with the media (GMA) regarding the death of Mariannet Amper (12-year old girl). Taken on Nov. 9, 2007 at KABIBA ofc.

In an interview with the local print, Ms. Suazo stressed, “Mariannet’s death depicts bad state of Philippine economy and governance... so many anti-poverty programs with corresponding budget had been launched by the government but merely end-up into PR tactics for political mileage and source of corruption.” “Mannet's wishes were her rights!”, she added.

UNIFIED STATEMENT: 18^TH year UNCRC Comemmoration

20 November 2007

2007 is indeed the most tumultuous and traumatic year for the Filipino children. With the intensified military offensives in the rural and moro areas, extreme poverty, hunger, unjust economic structure exacerbated by bad governance, had victimized our children and exposed them to vulnerable circumstances.

There’s nothing more to celebrate on the 18^th year commemoration of United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) amidst the destabilized and unhealthy conditions of our children. The Philippine government as state party to the international mandate is accountable to Filipino children. The state as the primary duty-bearer in the realization of the fulfillment of children’s rights is what the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo failed to do.

Government’s political will, accountability, sincerity, and legitimacy to enforce the law remain to be seen and challenged as indicators would show that the quality of life of Filipino children continues to deteriorate due to rising economic uncertainty, paralyzing poverty, social vulnerability, and exacerbated by bad governance, environmental degradation, escalating armed conflict, and mass political marginalization.

That is, the gap between children’s vulnerability and fulfillment of their rights is persistently widening because the government failed to address the reality that increasing vulnerability to children is inextricably-linked to situations of unjust and oppressive socio-economic and political structures. Mrs. Arroyo had delivered seven (7) consecutive State of the Nation’s Addresses (SONAs) already, but still deafening state rhetorics, empty promises, and has no moral ascendancy to genuinely address children’s issues and concerns. What went wrong to the hopefuls of “bangka and eroplanong papel”?

The Current State of Filipino Children

• There are about 37.6 million children (below 18 years old) in the current total population and 70% of these children are living in the rural areas.

• Children are vulnerable due to socio-economic status and for being a child. In the case of girl-child, vulnerability is tripled with the addition of gender as a sensitive issue.

On Survival

• Poverty incidence is high in rural areas due to massive landlessness and liberalization of agricultural sector.

• 11 million Filipinos are living extreme poverty (Global Hunger Index).

• Children in poverty situation is about 80% of its total population given that average family income has declined by more than 30% since 2001 up to now (IBON).

• Hunger hits new record high of 19% (8 million families) in last quarter of 2006, while hunger remains high in Mindanao at 22% (Social Weather Station).

• 6 out of 10 infants up to a year old are anemic while 4 out of 10 pregnant women are also anemic.

• Almost 30 of 1,000 infants die before they reach age 1 while 40 will die before age 5.

• 26 out of 100 children fail to be immunized against basic childhood diseases.

• 8 out 10 Filipinos cannot afford health care. (Health Alliance for Democracy)

• The Arroyo government has money for all-out war, none with health care services.

• Inadequate birth registration services, particularly for children in remote areas, IP children. 5 million of the total population is unregistered.

• Demolition and lack of housing services

On Development: Education in crisis

• Only 15% of children, aged 6, attended ECCD while most of daycare centers are ill-budget and concentrated in urban areas and less or non-existent in many rural areas.

• Due to poverty and malnutrition, 35-40% of elementary students tend to stop schooling.

• Teacher to student ratio in elementary and high school is 1:50, 1 classroom holds an average of 65 pupils while 5 students share 1 textbook.

• Shortage of at least 60,000 teachers and 50,000 classrooms. (DepEd)

Children’s Right to be Protected

• Rising number of child laborers. About 5 million are working children, aged 5-17. Child labor is mainly rural and male; 94% are 10-14 years old.

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• About 3 million of them are engaging in worst forms of child labor such as in commercial sexual exploitation, plantation farms, mining and quarrying, etc.

• 180,000 are child miners (PACT)

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• There’s a growing doubt to the effectiveness of government’s program against child labor given that its neo-liberal economic policies failed to resolve mass poverty and even exacerbated economic disparities.

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• 1.5 million street children; increasing annually by 630,000 – and are vulnerable to prostitution and trafficking.

• The effective implementation of Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (RA 9344) remains to be seen and challenged.

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• 75% of Brgy. Council for the Protection of Children are non-functional, almost nil in rural areas (Council for the Welfare of Children)

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• Rising number of child offenders (theft, robbery, gangsterism, and drug abuse) – and are susceptible to torture and ill-treatment by law enforcers are still rampant.

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• Summary killings of minors are still rampant in Southern Mindanao and Cebu.

Minimal Participation of Children and Young People

• Oftentimes, children/young people’s participation is limited only to the level of tokenism and maneuverism.

• Sangguniang Kabataan is not empowered. Oftentimes, SK officials are controlled by Barangay Councils.

• No genuine representation of children and young people in the legislative body due to marginalization.

HIGHLIGHTS of State Violence

• March 31 – Grecil Buya, 9-year old girl was admittedly killed by the elements of 67^th IB during their military operation in New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province.

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• Aug. 19 – 8 children aged 4 to 16 years old from Indanan, Sulu were arrested and tortured along with their parents by the military’s Joint Special Operations Force.

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• September (last week) – 11-year old girl-child was killed in the bombing incident by suspected terrorist group in Kidapawan, North Cotabato.

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• October 16 – 8-year old girl-child “Nena” was abducted and interrogated by the 78^th IB PA while in school in Tuburan, Cebu on the suspicion that her parents were members of NPA; the girl was then rescued on October 31.

• October 28 – a 2-month old baby boy, together with his parents and grandfather were abducted by the military in civilian clothes in Quezon Province; as of the moment they are still missing.

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• November 2 – Mariannet Amper, 12-year old girl, committed suicide out-of-poverty and victim of sexual abused. Though investigation is still on the process but it should not divert the issue on poverty.

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Karla Apat of ANAKBAYAN-DC.

UPHOLD CHILDREN'S RIGHTS!

Justice for Grecil! (9-year old girl admittedly killed by the troops of 67^th IB PA in New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province last March 31, 2007)

Justice for Mariannet! (12-year old girl who committed suicide due to poverty, but an angle that she was sexually abused (raped) might have triggered her to terminate self (still in the process of investigation). She died Nov. 2, 2007.

An interview with GMA-Testigo: Honey May Suazo discussed the current conditions of the Filipino children in the year 2007.

At the Press Conference at KABIBA and CRC-SMRO Offices in Davao City, Nov. 20, 2007. From L-R: John Birondo (advocacy ofcr, CRC-SMRO), Melba Gambong (spokesperson, GABRIELA-SMR), Jewella Arriza (spokesperson, Sining Ugnayang Bata), Honey May Suazo (exec.sec., KABIBA), Karla Apat (spokesperson, ANAKBAYAN-Davao City).

John Birondo of CRC-SMRO.

We are paying tribute to those children who are victims of state neglect like Grecil, Mariannet and millions of disadvantaged Filipino children whose rights were ruthlessly violated. We challenge the Arroyo government to immediately respond and prioritize the interests of our children, as they are the bearer of the country’s future.

Children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation as enshrined in the UNCRC will not be realized under conditions of unjust socio-economic and political structures, defective and anti-people policies and bad governance. The struggle for the fulfillment of children’s rights is intertwined with the people’s struggle for genuine social transformation.

SIGNATORIES:

Melba Gambong, Spokesperson – GABRIELA-Southern Mindanao Region

John Birondo, Advocacy Officer – Children's Rehabilitation Center-Southern Mindanao Regional Office (CRC-SMRO)

Jewella Arriza, Spokesperson – Sining Ugnayang Bata (KABIBA Cultural Group)

Honey May I. Suazo, Executive Secretary - KABIBA Alliance for Children’s Concerns in Mindanao

Karla Apat, Spokesperon – ANAKBAYAN-Davao City

 Download statement

■   KABIBA Statement on the 18th Anniversary of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

■   Arroyo Government is a violator of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child and should be held accountable on its actS - CRC-SMR

■   NDFP Challenges GRP to Conduct Joint Investigation on the Killings of Children and Minors
 

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