|
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Thousands commemorate HR Day with protests
By Ben O. Tesiorna
THOUSANDS marked the 55th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights with a march rally, decrying what they called continued "government abuses" on the rights of every Filipino.
Protesters coming from the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao del Sur trooped to Magsaysay Park and Pryce Tower in Bajada yesterday morning and marched their way to the Rizal Park where they held a protest rally.
Ariel Casilao, secretary general of Karapatan for Southern Mindanao, said they are protesting the continued defiance of several government agencies in observing the human rights of every Filipino.
He said despite the universal declaration 55 years ago, human rights violations continue to flourish with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as top violator.
Casilao said there were 502 documented cases of human rights violations involving 17,832 victims during the administration of President Arroyo, with 64 percent perpetrated by the AFP.
He said in Region 11 alone, there were 20 cases of human rights violations.
When asked if the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is effective in guarding the basic rights of individuals, Casilao said all the CHR could do is investigate, recommend and educate the people about human rights. Other than that, he said, is already beyond the CHR.
Casilao said they have observed that "the CHR is just a compromise by the State for the universal declaration of human rights 55 years ago".
Meanwhile, members of militant group Gabriela joined Wednesday's rally and called for an end to all forms of violence against women and children, timed for the culmination of the 16-day campaign on Violence Against Women (VAW) and children.
In a press release, members of Gabriela decried that women and children in all sectors, especially the majority poor and marginalized, suffer from acts of violence.
Statistics from the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the first semester this year revealed there were 2,381 cases of physical injuries and wife battering which is 54.7 percent of the total number of VAW cases.
The data from the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) also reported that 64 percent of VAW cases were inflicted inside the home, almost 50 percent were inflicted by husbands, live-in partners, relatives and fathers, and almost all perpetrators were male.
Gabriela said there can be no real progress in the country if majority of the citizenry, the women, continue to suffer injustices.
Gabriela challenged the administration of President Arroyo to condemn all policies that promote sex tourism and trafficking of women and children.
(December 11, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
