“Harassment and other attacks against human rights defenders during factfinding missions show the intent of the government to cover-up human rights violations. We condemn the recent harassment of international factfinding mission delegates, who were investigating the massacre of eight Lumad leaders in Brgy. Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
“The government is at it again, using the ineffective bounty system to resolve armed conflict. Duterte recently made another pronouncement, increasing the bounty for New People’s Army members killed – from PhP20,000, to PhP25,000, to PhP100,000. Such a scheme is short-sighted and flawed, only lending itself to the corrupt nature of state security forces,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
“With the martial law declaration in Mindanao, Duterte and his state forces have become every bit as fascist, every bit as brutal, and every bit as fraudulent and deceptive, concocting new and more atrocious ways to commit rights violations in indigenous and peasant communities,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, citing recent cases of abductions, killings, and harassment in different regions in Mindanao.
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 the government
look good and triumphant in its counterinsurgency campaign, even at the price
of deceiving the public and deliberately withholding justice from the victims,
their families, and their respective communities,” said Karapatan secretary
general Cristina Palabay.
“We look forward to the day that this “butcher-criminal” – unremorseful and proud of his record of violations and abuses – will finally be convicted in court,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
Today, February 15, 2018, retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan is set to take the witness stand for charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan.
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