[Blogger] Disappearance in the eyes of a victim’s child – anakngdesaparecidos.wordpress.com

by: Lorena Lenin Castillo Enforced or involuntary disappearance. Many Filipinos are still unaware of how widespread this odious offense is in the country. The commission of this offense did not end with the Marcos regime, but continued with each succeeding administration. Many of the victims are workers. Workers who were forced to fight for their…

Human Rights Online Philippines

July 14, 2011

2–3 minutes

Capitalism, Ferdinand Marcos, Filipino people, Forced disappearance, Human Right, International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Philippine, Vladimir Lenin

by: Lorena Lenin Castillo

Enforced or involuntary disappearance. Many Filipinos are still unaware of how widespread this odious offense is in the country. The commission of this offense did not end with the Marcos regime, but continued with each succeeding administration.

Many of the victims are workers. Workers who were forced to fight for their rights, which capitalists shamelessly violated. Workers who fought for their principles against those who belong to the more powerful echelons of the society.

Who would have thought that the State, mandated to protect its citizens, is the main culprit behind such offense? Disappearance is perpetrated by State agents who claim that these workers hinder economic growth, when in fact all they are guilty of is hindering capitalist’ accumulation of wealth. These capitalist seem to have forgotten that labor is a primary economic force and that the works who supply it shed blood and sweat just to put some food on the table – even if it’s just a meal of salt and rice. All the while, they who own the companies wallow in riches.

This injustice drives masses to protest, fighting for their Constitutionally-guaranteed rights which the rich and powerful, such as politician, nonetheless trample on. Yes, politicians. For many companies are owned by these so called ‘representative of the people’ or they are protégées of big capitalists. And because of their status, they are certainly powerful and have the “right connections”.

Thus, they can easily cause harm to those who stage protests. Some even are captured and later on killed. These killings are usually done by the very security forces of our government. The same people who sworn to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of the people.

A number of victims’ bodies have been found, but many cannot be located yet. Many families continue to hope that their disappeared relatives will be found alive. And many more continue to live in fear of the very possibility that another loved one could be the next victim.

We live in constant fear of having to live through the trauma all over again.