Addressing human rights abuses

EDITORIAL

On the eve of human rights day, civil society groups urged President Benigno Aquino III to prosecute rights abuses with the same intensity he had been pursuing alleged wrongdoings of former president and now Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

According to Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) Chairperson Max de Mesa, PNoy’s pronouncement that human rights have primacy in his governance has remained much in the rhetorical level. “President Aquino might be popular now but this will change if he continues to be silent and ineffective in preventing human rights violations such as torture, extra-judicial killings, and illegal demolitions.”

He also stated that as commander-in-chief, the President should be firm in going after erring military officials down to the ordinary soldiers.

In its “HatolngBayan”activity, progressives said the administration was wanting when it came to human rights protection citing workers’ rights violations, demolitions of urban poor homes, and strategy on climate change mitigation.

For the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, it said it was lamentable for the government to contract loans to finance its climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts because this will only add to the country’s indebtedness.

As examples, the group cited the $400 million Electric Trikes project with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the recent World Bank loan of $500 million for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

“This administration must immediately implement the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) to enable local communities to participate and integrate their interest in these efforts and call for climate justice now,” stated Milo Tanchuling of PMCJ.

De Mesa of PAHRA also added that P’Noy’s ‘TuwidnaDaan’ and the promises of change, of corruption-free and democratic governance were beginning to be meaningless because of continuing human rights violations leading to impunity.