Bayan said it is against the national interests of the Philippines to be drawn into a shooting war between the USA and China in the manner that Ukraine is a “mere pawn” between the rivalry between the North American superpower and Russia.
Four government troopers were killed last May 28, Tuesday, in an encounter with the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Bazal, Maria Aurora town in Aurora Province, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) reported.
“This is proof that we can achieve more victories through collective action and with the help of our true voice inside Congress, ACT Teachers Party-list,” ACT national chairperson Vladimer Quetua said in a statement.
Public school teachers in Manila scored a victory when the Department of Education-Division of Manila (DepEd Manila) withdrew its earlier order compelling them to submit performance ratings when they were supposed to be enjoying well-deserved rest.
“With this verdict from the IPT, we have judgment from some of the world’s best legal minds and the weight of international public opinion to back the victims’ continuing quest for justice and an end to impunity,” Karapatan said.
“As a former political prisoner who fell victim to the issuance of questionable search warrants by Judge Villavert, I cannot stay silent. Between 2018 and 2020, this judge issued numerous questionable search warrants that led to the arrest and filing of trumped-up charges against 76 activists,” former political prisoner Dennise Velasco wrote.
“These acts constitute serious violations of treaty and customary international law applicable in armed conflicts. In view of the foregoing factual and legal findings, the tribunal unanimously finds the defendants…guilty of all crimes and charges, including war crimes and violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) alleged in the indictment,” the IPT’s panel of jurors declared.
“The intensity of the armed conflict in the Philippines, the ruthlessness of atrocities committed by the State, and the severity of the violations of the laws of war have made it imperative to call out and make the perpetrators answerable for the outrages against the people and those who resist oppression and exploitation,” IPT co-convenor International Association of Democratic Lawyers explained.
Nearly 80% of red-tagging cases against journalists and media groups are state-sponsored or come from government-employed individuals, the NUJP study NO TAG: Press Freedom for Pluralism says.
“No matter how much he tries, however, Marcos Jr. cannot wash his hands of responsibility for the escalating violations of human rights and international humanitarian law consequent to the NTF-ELCAC’s red-tagging mania,” Karapatan said.
