PERMANENT PEOPLES’ TRIBUNAL
Founder: LELIO BASSO (Italy)

President:
SALVATORE SENESE (ITALY)

General Secretary:
GIANNI TOGNONI (ITALY)

H.E. José Manuel Barroso
President of the European commission
1049 Brussels, Belgium

His Excellency José Manuel Barroso,
President of the European commission,

As Members of the Jury of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, and as part of the larger human family, we recognize that the dramatic and worsening human rights situation in the Philippines is the responsibility for us all. We commit ourselves to defeat those powers which, under the pretext of the so-called war on terrorism, deprive the marginalized peoples of a life in justice, dignity and peace.

During its Second Session on the Philippines held in The Hague in March 2007, the Tribunal was able to receive voluminous evidences and testimonies leading it to conclude that the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is culpable for the atrocities of extrajudicial assassinations, massacres, tortures and forced disappearances committed against the Filipino people. Moreover, the PPT has found unequivocal evidences that the Armed Forces of the Philippines played a central role in the greatest majority of human rights violations in the Philippines.

It is thus with great trepidation that we receive the news that 43 volunteer health workers have been illegally arrested by combined elements of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on 6 February 2010 in the province of Rizal, just east of Manila.

According to reports from the Commission on Human Rights and non-government human rights organizations, the victims include two medical doctors, one registered nurse, one midwife and 39 volunteer community health workers. Security forces of the Arroyo government illegally barged into the private residence of Dr. Melecia Velmonte where the group was conducting a health skills training. The residence was illegally searched, private belongings were carted away, and the victims were handcuffed, blindfolded and herded into military trucks.

The raiding party then produced firearms and explosive devices, which the health workers allegedly had in their possession, to publicly justify the illegal arrest. The 43 victims, meanwhile, remained blindfolded and in handcuffs for the next 36 hours. Under the custody of the 202nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in Camp Capinpin, in Rizal province, they have been denied food and sleep, they may not talk with each other, and they suffer restrictions and sexual harassment in going to the lavatory. Relatives, lawyers, and human rights organizations have not been allowed to visit them. The Chairperson of the Commission of Human Rights had to go to the camp herself before the relatives were allowed to visit, still under the watchful eyes of a soldier. Just today, the Philippine Army even did not heed the clear orders of the Philippine Supreme Court to present all the 43 prisoners before Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Portia Aliño Hormachuelos at 2 p.m.!

As Jurors of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, we view with the greatest alarm these latest violations of human rights by the security forces of the Arroyo government. We observe that these fall neatly into the pattern of violence and impunity that result from this government's so-called “war on terrorism” in implementing its program, Oplan Bantay Laya 2.

The European Union, we understand, has expressed its commitment to helping improve the human rights situation in the Philippines by providing financial and technical support to government institutions as well as to non-government human rights organizations. At this very moment, the EU can concretely manifest this commitment by reminding the Philippine government to uphold the Filipino citizens' inviolable right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against searches and seizure; right against torture; right to be informed of their offenses; and their right to legal counsel of their choice. The EU can also remind the Arroyo government of the peoples' freedom of assembly and expression.

The Philippine government must also be reminded that it has signed and have the obligation to abide by international conventions on civil and political rights and against torture.

Moreover, the EU can remind the Philippine government that, in the absence of affordable and accessible health services, private citizens should be encouraged to teach and organize themselves for self-help health services. Instead of harassing and persecuting them, organizations such as the Community Medicine Foundation, Community Health and Development and Health Alliance for Democracy should be commended and emulated. The 43 volunteer health workers must be immediately and unconditionally released, and all seized items should be returned.

We pray that the EU increase its support to the Commission on Human Rights, which has striven to remain as an independent human rights body and to the victims of these atrocities instead. We also pray that the EU discontinue further negotiations for development support to the Philippine government until it can concretize its commitment to human rights.

Thank you very much for your attention and consideration.

Salvatore Senese (Italy )– PPT President
Gianni Tognoni (Italy) – PPT General Secretary
François Houtart (Belgium) – Session President
Irene Fernandez (Malaysia) – Session Judge
Ties Prakken (The Netherlands) – Session Judge
Lilia Solano (Colombia) – Session Judge
Øystein Tveter (Norway) – Session Judge

GENERAL SECRETARIAT: VIA DELLA DOGANA VECCHIA 5 - 00186 ROME
Tel/Fax:0039 066877774

E-mail:pp tribunal at internazionaleleliobasso.it;
tribunale at internazionaleleliobasso.it; filb@iol.it

Web: http://www.internazionaleleliobasso.it

Nagkagrabe na ang kamangtas ni Gloria samtang nagkaduol na ang katapusan sa iyang termino. Buhatun gyud nya ang tanang "tricks" arun malikayan ang sobra na nga gapatong-patong nga kaso sa korapsyon og human rights violations sa iyang administration. Isa sa trick nya mao ang iyang pagdagan sa pagkakongresista ug ang latest mao ang pagdeklara ug Martial Law (Proclamation 1959) sa Maguindanao. Base sa sitwasyon ni Gloria sa pagkakaron, dako kaayo ang posibilidad nga kining 1959 testing lang kini sa nationwide implementation sa martial law before sa eleksyon.

Of course, dili muhilum ang katawhan. Ubay-ubay na pud ang nitingog batok niining 1959. Basaha ang mga news links sa ubos:

Militant solons to challenge 1959
Colmenares said that the declaration of martial law was clearly a prelude to a no-election scenario in 2010. “If the presence of armed men is the basis, then the government can claim that the presence of the NPA and MILF and MNLF in other areas would justify the declaration of martial law all over the country,” he said...
Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20091207-240598...

Supreme Court: No basis for martial law
He said it was the search warrants issued by the Kidapawan Regional Trial Court that made possible the police raids on the residences of Ampatuan family members, the suspected perpetrators of the massacre.

“This is far from a picture of a non-performing judicial system,”...
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091206-2403...

Martial Law tied to poll cheating
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Sunday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to take custody of the ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia reportedly confiscated along with a cache of firearms and ammunition by military units that raided the Ampatuan mansions in Maguindanao recently.

He said that one possible reason for the martial law declaration in Maguindanao might be to cover up the massive fraud that marred the 2004 presidential and 2007 senatorial elections in the province...
Read more: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/232828/ml-tied-poll-cheating

Commission on Human Rights sees no legal basis for martial law
The CHR head said that the agency was "preparing to deploy" its Quick Monitoring Teams (QMTs) and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) to areas where there have been reports of harassment and human rights violations against civilians in police stations or military camps where arrested suspects, such as Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) members, and civilians may be brought and detained...
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20091206-240495/C...

Ex-SC justice says martial law unconstitutional
Former Supreme Court Justice Vicente Mendoza, a known constitutionalist, said the imposition of martial law in the province lacked two essential elements, invasion and rebellion, which are the conditions set by the Constitution justifying it.
Read more: http://abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/07/09/martial-law-unconstitutional-says...

SC urged to revoke martial law
“The proclamation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus are not a substitute for the incompetence of the authorities in the immediate arrest and detention of the butchers in the Ampatuan town massacre,”...
Read more: http://abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/07/09/dilangalen-asks-sc-nullify-martia...

Rebellion charges 'easy way out' for Ampatuans
“Rebellion subsumes all acts like murder. What we see here is that by the declaration of martial law, the cry for justice could be frustrated because if rebellion would be filed against the Ampatuans, and there is no factual basis for saying there is a rebellion, they could easily argue that they are not liable. If they are acquitted of rebellion, the murder charges would also be done away with,”...
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091207-240680/Re...

"If they can kill lawyers, they can kill practically anybody"-- Atty Connie Brizuela

Kodao Presents "The Philippines Revisited: Measures Measured" a documentation of the 2nd International Fact Finding Mission of Dutch Lawyers in the Philippines last 2008. Related documents can be found here.

"If they can kill lawyers, they can kill practically anybody," was what lawyer Connie Brizuela told members of the Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) mission investigating extra judicial killings of lawyers and judges in the Philippines. Connie also told the mission that she had moved to another island of the Philippines because of the death threats. Connie is one of the more than fifty people who were abducted and killed on Monday 23 November 2009. The group was escorting the wife of a political candidate, planning to run for the office of governor in the May 2010 elections.

The victims of the massacre have been found in a mass grave. Among the victims were two lawyers and twenty-three journalists, professions that are not looked upon favorably in the Philippines.

Dutch Lawyers for Lawyers "demands that there will be an immediate end to the lawlessness in the Philippines and has put this opinion across to the Dutch human rights ambassador, Mr. Hamburger."

To help, you can download this postcard, print and send it to the Dutch human rights ambassador, Mr. Arjan Hamburger.

The Philippines Revisited: Measures Measured, Part 1

The Philippines Revisited: Measures Measured, Part 2