Philippine UPR
Watch holds human rights exhibit in Geneva
Press Release
May 6, 2017
GENEVA – World Church
leader calls for minute of silence for human rights victims in
Philippines.
“Sisters and brothers from
the Philippines, we are following your work and we are supporting you
in raising one voice for justice. Therefore, one voice for peace.”
This was the gist of a
statement made by the World Council of Churches General Secretary Rev.
Dr. Olav Fykes Tveit in his opening remarks during the formal opening
of the photo exhibit sponsored by the UPR Watch Philippines on May 5,
2017 at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Center in
Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Tveit called for one minute of silence to
remember the numerous victims of extrajudicial killings and political
prisoners still languishing in various detention centers in the
country.
“We stand for those who
oppressed. We search for the truth. We let the truth speak to us and
we share it to the world,” Tveit said, referring to victims of
extra-judicial killings and political prisoners still languishing in
different Philippine jails.
WCC is the broadest and
among the most inclusive international ecumenical organization which
counts among its members 345 protestant churches, institutions and
church fellowship with an ECOSOC status with the United Nations.
The photo exhibit organized
by the Philippine UPR Watch is part of a series of events organized by
the Philippine UPR Watch in time for the 3rd Cycle of the Universal
Periodic Review of the Philippines. The exhibit showcases various
photographs by top Filipino photojournalists that graphically depicts
cases of human rights violations under both the present and past
administrations. It focused on the brutality of the anti-drug campaign
being waged by the Duterte Government. The exhibit also portrays the
plight of political prisoners and other forms of human rights
violations perpetrated against the indigenous peoples and national
minorities.
“It is of utmost concern for
us that despite the UPR, human rights violations still occur in the
Philippines, and is in fact worsening. What is even worst is the fact
that both the Aquino and the Duterte Administrations are dismissive of
the accusations that human rights violations were, and are being
committed under their watch,” said Atty. Ephraim B. Cortez, secretary
general, National Union of Peoples Lawyers Secretary General who gave
an overview on the objectives of the photo exhibit.
Sharon Cabusao Silva of
Gabriela, a political prisoner under the Aquino government and
spokesperson for the Free our Sisters, Free Ourselves campaign gave an
account on the plight of women political prisoners currently
languishing in different jails in the Philippines. “They are accused
of trumped-up charges and are being tried even as there is no evidence
linking them to the crime.” Cabusao-Silva cited the case of Miradel
Torres who was falsely accused of murder. “In a hearing, PAO Chief
Persida Acosta, who defends Torres in the case, was able to make the
sole prosecution witness admit that his entire testimony was based
merely on a military intelligence report listing the names of all
activists in the area where the supposed ambush of military men by the
New People’s Army took place. Torres was four months pregnant at that
time, and had taken time off from her organizing work for GABRIELA
Southern Luzon when the supposed ambush took place.” Inspite of this,
Cabusao-Silva said, “Miradel’s trial continues and she has now been
incarcerated for almost four years while her two young sons grow up in
poverty.”
