Human Rights Online Philippines

Dear Friends,

Greetings of peace!

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) in cooperation with the Committee on Human Rights of the House of Representatives cordially invite you to “KNOW ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE,” a mini film expo on the global phenomenon of enforced or involuntary disappearance. The second film showing will be held on 22 March 2012 at 1:00 -5:00 PM, Rooms 9 and 10, RVM Bldg. in the House of Representatives.

Slated for screening are: “Dukot”, a movie of Joel Lamangan and Boni Ilagan which was nearly banned by Movies and Televisions Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in 2008 for depicting the grim reality of the plight of the disappeared persons in the Philippines in recent years, and “Finding Ernesto,” a documentary film on the search for children who disappeared during the civil war in El Salvador. The driving force behind this quest is the late Father Jon de Cortina, a Jesuit priest from Spain who came to El Salvador in 1955. When he discovered after the war that there were many disappeared children in the area around his village, he formed the group Pro-Busqueda (Association in Search of Missing Children) to trace the children and reconnect them to their families.

The film expo aims to promote human rights awareness more particularly of the right against enforced disappearance and to urge the Philippine government to enact an anti-enforced disappearance law and to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

We also take this opportunity to commemorate the martyrdom of El Salvador’s Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero which prompted the UN General Assiembly to adopt a resolution on 21 December 2010 declairinging March 24 as the Interantional Day of the Right to Truth regarding gross human rights violations and dignity of vicitms.

We shall truly appreciate it if you would join us in this activity and share with us your views through an open discussion following each film showing.

We look forward to your invaluable presence and active participation in this collective endeavor. We know that you are one with us in making human rights a reality for all.

Thank you and warmest regards.

Sincerely yours,

MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO                                     NILDA L. SEVILLA
Secretary General                                                            Co-Chairperson
AFAD                                                                                  FIND