| |
Press Statement
Reference: Mrs. Edita Burgos
June 11, 2008 Mobile Nos. +63918 944 7538; +4177 251 0560
As the UNHRC tackles the Philippine UPR Report on its 8th session,
Philippine UPR Watch Reiterates its call to the UNHR Council to pursue RP
to totally end Extrajudicial Killings and Disappearances in the
Philippines
In an oral intervention delivered during the consideration of the UPR
report on the Philippines on June 10, at the 8th session of the UN Human
Rights Council, the Philippine UPR Watch assailed the Philippine National
Report for its silence on the adoption of the recommendation of the
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions,
Philip Alston. The intervention read by Edita T. Burgos, mother of missing
activist Jonas Burgos urged the United Nations to encourage the
Philippines to abide by its pledges and commitments and implement the
recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions.
The Philippine UPR Watch maintained that the reduction in the number of
victims of killings is the result of public outcry and international
outrage.
The group also raised the query to the Philippine Mission whether the
government has adopted the changes to the counter-insurgency program
proposed by the UNSR Philip Alston. It elaborated that one of the
recommendations of Alston was to have a change in the counter-insurgency
program being waged by the government especially since the said program is
identified by the Special Rapporteur as one of the causes that engenders
the killings and disappearances. It also wanted to clarify what the
state's actions will be to maintain the so-called "momentum on the
extrajudicial killings" that is one of the commitments declared to the
Council by the Philippine Mission.
Further, Burgos said that impunity continues, citing the recent case of
Pastor Rodel Canja who was abducted and subjected to mental torture in an
attempt to force him to declare his colleague, Pastor Berlin Guerrero,
abducted one year earlier, as a member of the Communist Party. She also
cited the case of her disappeared son, Jonas, who remains to be missing
after more than a year of search despite availing of all legal remedies
and resorting to all legal venues open to her and her family.
In its statement, the Philippine UPR Watch also thanked the states that
raised serious questions and recommendations to end extrajudicial
killings, disappearances and other human rights violations in the country
during the April UPR on the Philippines conducted by the UNHRC meeting as
a working group. At that time, states were only allowed to comment on the
Philippine national report.
The statement of the group was supported by the Commission of Churches on
International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (WCC CCIA) and the
International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL).
The Philippine UPR Watch was also supported by the members of Migrante-Switzerland,
some of whom witnessed the session on the UPR on the Philippines and
listened to the oral intervention of Mrs. Edita Burgos.###
* This is the link to the UN webcast video or Mrs. Burgos' oral
intervention (http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/archive.asp?go=080610#pm).
Please click the 2nd link on video archive, then scroll down. Mrs. Burgos
is listed at Commission of Churches on International Affairs of the World
Council of Churches. Click English.
UN Human Rights Council 8th Session
Item 6: Consideration of UPR Reports – Philippines
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
To be delivered by Dr.Edita Burgos
Joint Statement on behalf of the Commission of Churches on
Interantional Affairs of the World Council of Churches (CCIA WCC) and the
International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL)
Mr. President:
We thank the World Council of Churches' Commission of Churches on
International Affairs (WCC CCIA) and the International Association of
Democratic Lawyers (IADL) for their support to this statement.
We also take this opportunity to thank the States that raised serious
questions and recommendations during the UPR on the Philippines in April.
The continuing concern of the international community on extrajudicial
killings and other human rights violations in the Philippines is
reassuring. Such concern dispelled the glossy picture projected by the
Philippine National Report through its reporting of formal recognition of
basic rights and lavish citation of laws and commitments.
During the April UPR, it was stated that the preparation of the Report was
done through a supposed "consultative and participatory process" to
fulfill the Government's pledge of "promoting constructive engagement of
the Council with civil society, ensuring opportunities to gainfully
contribute to the work of the Council." We maintain that much leaves to be
desired in such a process.
In relation to the outcome of the review, we note that the Philippine
delegation did not indicate any adoption of the recommendations of the
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution
especially on the changes in the counter-insurgency program being
implemented by the state and which the Special Rapporteur noted as one of
the causes of the killings and disappearances.. The filing of cases in
some and the conviction of four persons among almost a thousand cases do
not negate the fact that not a single military person was convicted of
such violations largely attributed to the militarist approach of the
Government to the issue of counterinsurgency in the Philippines.
The reduction in the number of victims of killings is the result of public
outcry and international outrage. Yet, the impunity continues. A recent
case is that of Pastor Rodel Canja who was abducted and subjected to
mental torture in an attempt to force him to declare his colleague, Pastor
Berlin Guerrero, abducted one year earlier and now detained on false
charges, as a member of the communist party. More than a year after my
son's abduction, in spite of all legal remedies availed of, including the
much-vaunted new remedy of the writ of amparo, I am still searching for my
disappeared son, Jonas.
Mr. President, in the outcome of the review, the Philippine delegation
declared one of its commitments is to "maintain the momentum on addressing
killings of activists and media professionals."
May we know what momentum is it saying and what actions it envisions to
totally address the issue of killings and disappearances?
We respectfully urge this august body to encourage the Philippines to
abide by its pledges and commitments and implement the recommendations of
the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
Thank you, Mr. President.
|
|
