Human Rights

Congress HR committee looks into extra judicial killings in Mindanao

By MARILOU AGUIRRE-TUBURAN | Davao Today


A witness takes oath to tell the truth during the public hearing conducted by the House Committee on Human Rights in August. Victims and witnesses from the Mindanao regions presented their accounts on the human rights abuses allegedly committed by the government troops. Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III, chairperson and Rep. Satur Ocampo, House Deputy Minority Leader, were present at the hearing. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

The best deterrent to crime is when the wheels of justice, no matter how slow, really move and convict people who are guilty. This is the statement made by Lorenzo ?Erin? Ta?ada IIII, chair of the House of Representatives' committee on human rights, after a two-day hearing for the Mindanao regions of the ongoing Congressional inquiry on extrajudicial killings.

Continue ReadingCongress HR committee looks into extra judicial killings in Mindanao

Former logging community in Compostela wary of soldiers in the area

By CJ KUIZON | Davao Today

Sitio Valma of Barangay Ngan in the municipality of Compostela used to be a thriving logging community in the 1970s up to the 1990s. When the company's timber logging agreement (TLA) expired, Consuelo Valderrama, its owner, chose not to renew the contract, signalling the death of the boom town.

Continue ReadingFormer logging community in Compostela wary of soldiers in the area

Martial Law survivors say the past is still in their midst

By GRACE S. UDDIN | Davao Today

He could hear the sound of his footsteps as he ran to escape his captors. His heart beat very fast. He went to their underground house, where they used to hold secret meetings against the Marcos government, to warn other activists to abandon the place. But men in uniforms captured him instead. "It was just like in the movies," recalls Bienvenido Lumbera, the National Artist for Literature, who was once a Martial Law survivor.

Continue ReadingMartial Law survivors say the past is still in their midst

Photo Essay: A call for a stop to human rights violations in Compostela Valley

Photos By JONALD MAHINAY and BARRY OHAYLAN | Davao Today

According to Karapatan, human-rights violations in Southern Mindanao have increased as Oplan Bantay Laya, aimed at crushing the communist rebellion, is nearing its deadline in 2010. Click here for more pictures


Continue ReadingPhoto Essay: A call for a stop to human rights violations in Compostela Valley