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Groups condemn red-tagging of judge who freed journo, labor organizer
By EMILY VITAL
MANILA – Lawyers and colleagues of journalist Lady Ann Salem condemned the red-tagging of Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio who junked the charges against Salem and labor organizer Rodrigo Esparago.
Several tarpaulins bearing the logos of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front of the Philippines cropped up in Mandaluyong and other parts of the metro thanking the judge for the dismissal of the cases against Salem and Esparago.
Gov t commitments to human rights must reduce violent incidents —CHR gmanetwork.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gmanetwork.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Follow RT on The Philippines human rights watchdog has launched a probe after nine unarmed people died during a police operation. The deaths followed the president’s order to troops to “kill” rebels, but the govt insists the move was legal.
“The president’s ‘kill, kill, kill’ order is legal because it was directed at armed rebels,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a briefing on Monday, as he responded to a barrage of criticism levied at leader Rodrigo Duterte.
The Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the president, nonetheless confirmed there would be an official investigation into the killings.
"Activists are not necessarily terrorists and there should be a differentiation between those who take up arms and those who merely exercise their constitutional right to form and join associations, organizations as well as petition the government for redress of its grievances," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said Monday.
Luis Liwanag/BenarNews
The Philippine human rights commission and the government said Monday they were investigating anti-communist insurgency operations by police that killed nine people over the weekend.
Those slain during raids in four provinces on Sunday were vocal critics of the Duterte administration, human rights groups alleged, but government officials defended the raids and said they were justified.
“Activists are not necessarily terrorists,” lawyer Jacqueline de Guia, a spokeswoman for the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), said in a statement.
“There should be a differentiation between those who take up arms and those who merely exercise their constitutional right to form and join associations, organizations as well as petition the government for redress of its grievances,” she said.