Eight years since her death, Hernandez’s family found a ray of hope when the UNHRC issued its decision in August 2010. The Committee found the Philippine government guilty of violating Article 6 of the Covenant which states, “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”
The swift netizen defense of alleged Yolanda looters establishes that violence is permissible in the name of survival. But, we have to ask, survival under what conditions? Survival according to whose standards? The answer to the first seems to be that violence is permissible under conditions over which people have no control, such as natural disasters.
“It’s not God who was absent or was somewhere else when Yolanda struck. It was the Aquino administration that was and still is nowhere to be felt, found or seen by our hapless kababayans (fellow Filipinos),” said Davao-based lawmaker, Atty. Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna Partylist.
This contributed photo from Tacloban City shows people carting off goods from Robinson's Mall last Monday in plain sight of an armed security guard who could only watch . Chaos and hunger has stricken this city struck by Typhoon Yolanda last Friday, as no clear system has been implemented to carry off the dead and take care of the many survivors. (Photo contributed by Arthur Yap)
While today is the right time to give comfort to our fellow Filipinos in Visayas, it will also help them if we protest. Let’s push Malacañang to stop its utter neglect. Let’s show them anger the way we do to Napoles because neglect also robbed thousands of Filipinos of the chance to live.