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Church worker in UN reveals continuing rights violations in the PH

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GENEVA, Switzerland–A protestant church worker revealed continuing human rights violations in the Philippines under the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government at the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) in this city.

National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) program secretary for Faith, Witness and Service Mervin Sol Toquero reported before the international body that there had been 223 drug-related killings since July 2022, the start of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration.

“There is very minimal accountability for perpetrators since the time of President Rodrigo Duterte,” Toquero said.

Toquero said they are alarmed that human rights defenders, including church people and humanitarian workers, are also targeted under the country’s anti-terrorism and related laws.

He cited the case of United Methodist Church minister Glofie Baluntong who had been “falsely accused” of attempted murder as well as charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

He also mentioned the case of NCCP staff member and land and environment defender Peti Enriquez who has been charged for alleged violations of the International Humanitarian Law.

The Philippine government mission was absent at the Council session when Toquero spoke,

Toquero appealed to the UNHRC to call on the Philippine government to enact the Human Rights Defenders Bill pending before the Philippine Congress.

The Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives has recently approved the measure for the third time in two decades but is yet to be approved by its plenary and the Senate.

Toquero also asked the UN to call on the Philippine government to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act “as it endangers human rights defenders.” 

“Relatedly, we ask this Council to continue urging the Philippine Government to cooperate with the ICC (International Criminal Court) as this would provide viable accountability mechanisms and combat impunity,” Toquero said.

The Philippine UPR Watch is participating in the ongoing 52nd Regular Session of the UN HRC’s adoptions of the recommendations made during the 4th UPR on the Philippines last November.

The Philippine government is expected to accept 215 of the 289 recommendations by UN member states, choosing however to reject substantial proposals such as rejoining the International Criminal Court, putting a stop to red-tagging and repeal of laws that are “weaponized” against rights defenders, church workers, journalists such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and Libel/Cyber-Libel.

The NCCP is a co-convenor of the Philippine UPR Watch. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Joma to Digong: Killing 30k drug suspects is what is insane

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National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison said there is nothing rotten or insane about fighting for independence and democracy.

Replying to yet another tirade from President Rodrigo Duterte, Sison said what is insane is killing 30,000 drug suspects as well as mass murdering workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, social activists and human rights advocates to preserve the ruling system.

“What is totally rotten is for Duterte to be serving the interests of both US and Chinese imperialists, the big compradors, landlords and his fellow corrupt bureaucrat capitalists who oppress and exploit the people,” Sison said.

Sison was replying to Duterte’s speech during the annual assembly of the Provincial Union of Leaders Against Illegality (PULI) at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, Quezon Province Monday where he again admitted ordering the killing of drug addicts.

“You know why I ordered you killed? To end your problems,” Duterte said.

Another tirade

Duterte also launched into another tirade against local Communists, calling revolutionary forces purveyors of an “insane” and “rotten” ideology.

“I have not seen a group of people [as] affected by mass insanity,” Duterte said, adding communism is a “rotten ideology.”

Duterte said he is not averse to socialism but could not understand why the revolutionary groups must carry arms.

“I listen to Sison. The problem is, I cannot go into an armed struggle, carry arms to win and fight for a lost cause. The communist ideology is over and done with,” Duterte said.

Duterte also claimed that the Communists do not even have a single community under its control.

“Do you think you can take over the government? Not in a million years. You cannot even hold a single barangay,” Duterte said.

In a quick reply, Sison also said Duterte is in denial that revolutionary forces are widespread all over the country.

“The people’s democratic government is now operating in more than 15,000 barangays and it is advancing in waves until it can overthrow the counterrevolutionary state of the big compradors, landlords and corrupt bureaucrats like him,” Sison said.

China and Russia

Sison added it is Duterte who is rotten for serving the interests of the United States and China, as well the local ruling elite and corrupt government officials who oppress and exploit the people.   

Duterte’s repeated challenge to local Communists to visit China as well as Russia to observe how capitalism has taken over is insanity, Sison said.

“Filipino revolutionaries have contempt for the restoration of capitalism in China and Russia but are pleased at the same time that the rise of Chinese and Russian monopoly capitalism is now intensifying the contradictions among the imperialist powers,” he explained.

“Only an incorrigible traitor and tyrant and someone insane can glorify imperialist China and Russia, seek to keep the Philippines a prey to both old and new imperialist,” Sison said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)