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News Release
December 10, 2008
Reference: Peter Arvin Jabido, NY Committee for Human Rights in the
Philippines, email: nychrp@gmail.com
Filipinos in New York Commemorate International Human Rights Day
Filipinos in New York City commemorated International Human Rights Day on
December 10th with a special mass dedicated to the victims of human rights
violations in the Philippines. Entitled "Misa Para sa Kapayapaan at
Karapatang Pantao" [Mass for Peace and Human Rights], the mass was
sponsored by the NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, a local
advocacy group in New York, and held at the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz,
the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of New York lower Manhattan.
Berna Ellorin, a member of NYCHRP, opened the mass with a quote from a
recent statement from Filipino Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, President of the
Catholic Bishops Conference in the Philippines-- "Today, is a day of shame
and embarrassment....because of the innumerable human rights violations
that have remained unexamined, unexplained and unsolved or covered up by
events [in the Philippines]. Ellorin further quoted Lagdameo with --" We
are ashamed, that our country is said to be the most corrupt in Asia and
the second most corrupt in the world. This is because of human rights
violations in various degrees."
The ecumenical service was led by celebrant Fr. Erno Diaz, who also spoke
of human rights violations in his sermon. "We must remember that Jesus was
a victim of a violent human rights violation for doing good, as was
Filipino saint San Lorenzo Ruiz. We must continue to pray for those that
are being persecuted for struggling for peace and human rights."
Gary Labao of NYCHRP closed the communion with a reflection on peace--
"Peace is not merely the absence of war, violence or turmoil. Peace must
always be based on justice.... Therefore there can be no peace as long as
there are people dying of hunger and poverty. There can be no peace as
long as there is inequality and oppression. There will be dissidents,
rebels, and people who are willing to commit acts of violence against
men."
Labao also spoke of the 977 civilian victims of extrajudicial killings,
201 civilian victims of enforced disappearances, 1,010 victims of torture,
and 1,464 victims of illegal arrests in the Philippines under the
administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Members of NYCHRP also mentioned the investigation of Radhika
Coomaraswamy, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Children,
in the Philippines this week. "A country that upholds human rights must
prove itself first and foremost as a country safe for our children, the
most vulnerable in our society. The Children's Rehabilitation Center in
the Philippines has already reported over 948 cases of human rights
violations against Filipino children in addition to 2 million children
that have been displaced due to militarization," stated Ellorin.
Upon conclusion, members of Anakbayan New York/New Jersey and Filipinas
for Rights and Empowerment collected signatures endorsing the release of
the Southern Tagalog 72, known anti-Arroyo critics in the Southern Tagalog
region who were swept in false charges of murder and arson and some of
whom are in detention. ###
--
New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
www.nychrp,org
email:
nychrp@gmail.com
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