Second Congress Documents

AGAINST the ATTACKS on the LEGAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT  in the PHILIPPINES

 

 

Whereas, violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed by State security forces and agents under the Philippine government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo continue at an alarming rate;

 

Whereas, under the pretext of the war against “terrorism” the Macapagal-Arroyo government, in collaboration with the United States, has undertaken open and systematic attacks against legitimate organizations, members and leaders of progressive people’s organizations and cause-oriented groups that are critical of anti-people government policies including state terrorism and foreign subservience; 

 

Whereas, these attacks range from baseless labeling and vicious demonification to abductions and outright summary executions;

 

Whereas, under the Arroyo administration, 10 human rights workers from KARAPATAN as well as 38 members from the political partylist group called Bayan Muna (People First) have been killed;

 

Whereas, the declaration of an open-ended “state of lawlessness” in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, in Mindanao starting in July of 2001 virtually gave a carte blanche to the State security forces to conduct arbitrary and warrantless arrests and searches especially among the Moslem communities;

 

Whereas, the continued implementation of counter-insurgency programs like Oplan Makabayan (Operation Plan Nationalist) mandating the deployment of large concentrations of police, military and paramilitary groups in specific areas eventually result to vicious human rights violations against civilians and civilian populations as well as violations of international humanitarian laws; and

 

Whereas, the perpetrators and coddlers of human rights violations commit their crimes against the people with impunity as they remain unaccountable therefor as their acts have been sanctioned, condoned, tolerated and even rewarded by the government, notable of which is the promotion to the rank of Brigadier General of Col. Jovito Palparan Jr., the notorious military commander of the dreaded army brigade in the island of Mindoro Oriental.

 

WHEREFORE, we people’s lawyers, law students and legal workers from the International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) gathered in 2^nd Congress, resolve, as it is hereby resolved, to call and enjoin the Philippine Government to:

 

• Effectively address and punish acts of terrorism by agents of the State;

• Respect the rights and freedoms of all democratic forces and immediately bring to justice all perpetrators of human rights violations including the speedy investigation, arrest, prosecution, trial and conviction of perpetrators without regard to technicalities and eliminating delays at different stages;

• Immediately repeal subsisting repressive laws and issuances and reverse jurisprudence engendering or providing sanction or impunity for human rights violations;

• Abandon specific proposed draconian measures like mandating a national identification system, relaxing rules on arrests, and “anti-terrorism laws” violative of civil and political rights;

• Discontinue the practice of criminalizing political offenses and actions for acts in pursuit of one’s political beliefs; 

• Unconditionally free all political prisoners, whether those arrested, charged, prosecuted, tried or convicted of political crimes or, as is the practice by the government, common crimes but with clear or convincing evidence that they are politically-motivated; and

• Rebuke and discontinue the arbitrary, unfounded and malicious labeling of national liberation movements, progressive nationalist organizations and patriots as “terrorists” both in the national and international fora.

Adopted this 9^th day of November 2003, Istanbul, Turkey.