#UndoingDuterte | Five years of state terror
Relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings storm Camp Aguinaldo demanding accountability to the death of their loved ones. (Photo courtesy of Karapatan)
Under the Duterte administration, Karapatan has noted a pattern of using search warrants issued by executive judges in Quezon City and Manila regional trial courts to conduct police and military raids on homes and offices of the progressive leaders and activists which led to the killings or if not, end up arrested after supposed “evidence” were gathered by the authorities.
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
MANILA – There has been no let up in rights violations in the past five years of the Duterte administration, said human rights group Karapatan. These violations are the result of policies and campaigns, which the government claims will bring “peace” to the country but the actual implementation has only terrorized civilians.
Published May 31, 2021, 6:02 PM
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has yet to assess if the deaths of three persons, including two National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants, should be investigated by the inter-agency committee on extra-judicial killings (EJKs), Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Monday, May 31.
“The DOJ will conduct a preliminary assessment of the subject incidents,” said Guevarra who is the chairman of the Administrative Order (AO) 35 Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons.
He said he has already given the directive to make the assessment whether the AO 35 committee should investigate the killings of the two peace consultants former Roman Catholic priest Rustico Tan and Reynaldo Bocala as well that of Bocala’s aide, Arguelles Epago.
In a statement, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, said the recent killings should be investigated in the context of previous incidents of killings and attacks against other NDFP peace consultants.
Commission on Human Rights Human rights group Karapatan has asked the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the killings last Friday night, May 28, of three persons, including two National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants. Sought to be investigated by the C
The Philippine National Police (PNP) would welcome any investigation concerning the death of a National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant during a police raid in Pavia, Iloilo, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Sunday, May 30. PNP Chief Eleazar said they are "open to any investi