A Day to Remember What Terrorism Means

9/11/2006 07:48:00 AM

from the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA)

"Two events presenting a harsh irony.

"Today is the 40th day since the death of Alyce Omengan-Claver. She is remembered by her family, friends and those who have known that the Clavers were ambushed as part of the implementation of Operation Plan Bantay Laya.

"Today, Major General Jovito Palparan, is celebrating his birthday and is retiring from service from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He is being rewarded with the assurance that the government will surely take him into service after today whereas he should be punished for his human rights violations. Last week, an announcement was made that he will be appointed as deputy national security adviser for counter-insurgency operations - an appointment that was taken back because of the strong public opinion and international pressure against it. Nevertheless, the government assurance remains

"It should be recalled that the main suspect behind the Claver ambush, former Police Director Pedro Ramos was tagged as the protégé of Palparan. Like Palparan he sowed fear among the people of Kalinga. He labeled Bayan Muna, Cordillera Peoples Alliance and different people’s organizations as “the enemy”, as fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army. He formed death squads. He directed the assassination of Rafael Markus Bangit and the Claver ambush and the State has not held him accountable for it.

"Forty days after the Claver ambush, justice has not yet been served. Ramos was transferred to Region III and his mentor, Palparan, is being rewarded.

"While we continue to mourn and rage on this day, we should remember clearly what terrorism means. Terrorism means sowing fear into the lives of the people preventing them to live with dignity and with respect to their basic rights. This is what the State, Palparan and Ramos have been doing. This is what we should unwaveringly fight against.

"STOP THE KILLINGS!

"PROSECUTE VIOLATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS! PROSECUTE RAMOS AND PALPARAN!

"JUSTICE FOR ALYCE! JUSTICE FOR MAKOY!

"JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF STATE TERRORISM!"

-----
For reference:
Beverly L. Longid
Vice Chairperson, CHRA
Contact nos: +6374 446.6227 or 442.6040

Share |
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

0 Response to "A Day to Remember What Terrorism Means"

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

    What's going on?



    View this map

    Democracy, according to the late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, is "a question of human dignity, [a]nd human dignity is political freedom, the right to freely express opinion and the right to be allowed to criticise and form opinions."

    But exercising political freedom in the Philippines, which purports itself to be a democracy, can lead to death. Since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency of the country in 2001, more than 800 Filipinos murdered in politically-motivated, extra-judicial, targeted killings. Since the 4th quarter of July 2005, one person has been killed every two days. The victims of these brazen acts of violence were all unarmed citizens: lawyers, judges, journalists, medical practitioners, members of cause-oriented groups, priests, church-workers, human rights advocates, laborers and farmers.

    It is widely believed—and the United Nations support this belief—that state security forces are complicit in these crimes.