‘Mabigat sa dibdib ko’

Karapatan today accompanied Janry Mensis, 22, and “Jerry” (not his real name), 17, both farmers in Compostela Valley and part-time small scale miners in Tagum City, Davao del Norte who lodged complaints at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The two were abducted, illegally detained, and brutally tortured by elements of the Armed Forces of…

Karapatan strongly condemns the kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges reportedly filed by Vic Pedaso, the biological father of “Lester”, a 14-year old witness-survivor of the Sagay massacre, against Atty. Katherine Panguban, National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) Women and Children’s Committee Head. read more

During a dialogue between the Commission on Human Rights and Lumad leaders from various communities in Mindanao, Karapatan raised the issue of members of paramilitary groups, who are at-large for crimes of murder and destructive arson being protected by the government, and even paraded as NPA surrenderees. “This is but a cheap trick to make…