Philippine Rights Delegation at the UN Calls for Justice for Filipina Human Rights Defenders, Raise Child Rights Violations under Aquino

[Geneva, 9 March 2012] Speaking at a side event organized by the International Service for Human Rights and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition during the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Tanggol Bayi-Karapatan spokesperson and Philippine UPR Watch convener Cristina Palabay today enjoined international NGOs and women’s organizations to support the call for justice for Filipina human rights defenders who were victims of state violence and terror under the Arroyo and the current Aquino administration.

She cited the cases of disappeared UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, and journalist and human rights worker Benjaline Hernandez as among the unresolved cases in the Philippines under the Arroyo administration, as Arroyo and her top military generals such as Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan remain scot-free from prosecution and arrest on these rights abuses.

“Such climate of impunity prevails to this day, under the one and a half years under President Benigno Aquino III, with 67 cases of extrajudicial killings, four of them women, three of whom were women human rights defenders and one seven-year old child Sunshine Jabinez.  Oplan Bayanihan, the current counter-insurgency program, has legitimized the militarization of communities resulting to forced evacuations, threats, harassment, torture, and indiscriminate firing, the rape and sexual abuse among the civilian population, most of them women and children,” Palabay stated.

Read full article @ www.karapatan.org