MANILA, Dec. 12, 2010—The current dismal situation of human rights in the country has made the Aquino government no different from the previous administration, a group of religious and clergy said.
The convenors of Religious Discernment Group, in a statement released on Dec. 4, has denounced the spate of human rights violations in the country.
They expressed shock at the fact that the new administration of President Benigno Aquino has an average of “one extra judicial killing per week.â€
“The number of sectoral leaders, particularly peasants, jailed on false charges has continued to increase,†they said.
Illegally detained Morong 43 who have been in jail since February this year, were ordered released by Aquino on December 10.
The government’s failure to bring to justice the perpetrators of human abuses is an “indictment†of Aquino’s “and daan matuwid†(righteous path) mandate, the group said.
The continued implementation of the counter-insurgency program “Oplan Bantay Laya†also worries the group because of human rights violations associated with it.
“There will be no justice, freedom and peace for our people until the Government take the welfare of the people, especially [those] of the urban and rural poor instead of the interests of local elites and large foreign corporations, as the starting point for all development policies,†they said.
“We ask the Government to abandon plans to implement Oplan….but rather to resume peace talks with the NDFP and MILF to ensure that the roots of injustice are stamped out,†the group further said.
Signatories to the statement were convenors Fr. Wilfredo Dulay, MJ, Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, Jr., OP, Fr. Gregorio Obejas, OSM, Fr. Tito Maratas, MSC, Fr. Joselito Sarabia, CM, Sr. Ailyn Binco, RGS, Sr. Pat Fox, NDS, Sr. Angelita Navarro, ICM and Sr. Rebecca Pacete, MMS.
The group’s advent gathering was held to discern their prophetic role in promoting and defending human rights in the country. (CBCPNews)
