Philippines: The Old Struggle for Human Rights, New Problems Posed by Security

By Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno
Supreme Court

(Delivered on April 18, 2007 on the occasion of the conferment of the
honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of the East.)

?Tomorrow begins in the East,? trumpets the motto of this venerable
institution of learning. In his last moments in Bagumbayan, our national
hero Jose Rizal stared at tomorrow in the eye, veered his bullet-riddled
body to the right and fell lifeless on the ground ?face turned towards
the rising sun in the east. From the cradle to the grave, Rizal
consecrated his life to fight for the human rights of our people.
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Philippines: Arroyo Guilty of Double Standard in Campbell, Posa Cases

MANILA — ?It?s double standard and there?s no other way to call it.?

This was according to GABRIELA Secretary General Emmi De Jesus who accosted the Macapagal-Arroyo administration for its quick responses when it comes to complaints and requests from US citizens yet plays blind and deaf to the murder and rape of its own people.
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In Philippines, Mother Buries 4th and Last Son Killed by Davao Death Squad

Taken. Clarita Alia is hysterical as her son, Fernando, is laid to rest in Davao City today. Fernando was the fourth and last son of Alia who was killed in the last five years. “I no longer have anybody with me. They took all my children,” Alia wailed during the burial. She believes that the so-called Davao Death Squad was behind the murders of her sons, as well as countless other people, many of them minors who had trouble with the law. The extrajudicial killings, which Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has tacitly approved, are seen as the city’s way of dealing with crime. Government and tourism officials have praised the city for its low crime rate, which is ironically attributed to these killings. Duterte has likewise earned kudos for his toughness on crime and for his statements warning people that they would be killed if they commit crimes in his city. (davaotoday.com photos by Barry Ohaylan)

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Human Rights Now Japan Ends Probe in Philippines

HRN Fact finding team in Philippine April 2007

1 Human Rights Now, Tokyo Based international human rights NGO has conducted the investigation on extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance in the Philippines on 14-21 April, 2007. As Asian friend, Japanese civil society is very concerned the fact that substantial numbers of Filipino people have targeted of extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance. Human Rights Now shares this very concern and decides to send fact finding mission to the Philippines.
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