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Baguio human rights workers renew vow to promote peace

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 17) — In commemoration of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, at least 127 individuals from the provinces, peoples organizations, church groups and human rights lawyers groups gathered at the Sta. Catalina Spirituality Center from December 9 to 10 to renew their commitment as peace and human rights advocates and workers.

The said assembly carried the theme Uphold and Defend Peoples Rights! Salute the Martyrs and Continue to Persevere for a Just, Peaceful and a Democratic Society!

Inspired by the challenge to strengthen their alliance, the assembly approved a resolution transforming the Cordillera Human Rights Organization (CHRO) into the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA). The said assembly also passed other major resolutions that included condemning the summary execution of farmer-hunters in various provinces by the elements of the AFP and the Supreme Court’s reversal of its earlier decision regarding the unconstitutionality of the Mining Act of 1995.

The assembly also elected its new set of officers from its newly composed Regional Council, which is composed of representatives of member organizations and individuals. The newly elected officers are Bp. Juan Marigza as Chairperson Emeritus, Atty. Reynaldo Cortes as Chairperson, Beverly Longid and Father Peter Alangui as Vice Chairpersons and Atty. Randy Baniaga Kinaud as Secretary General. Appointed officers are Jude Baggo as Deputy Secretary-General and Geraldine Fiag-oy as Treasurer.

The last day of the assembly culminated with a lantern parade along Session Road, followed by a cultural night at the Igorot Park here.

The human rights declaration

CHRA said in a statement that it has been 58 years since members of the United Nations, which includes the Philippines as a member, signed the Universal Declaration on Human Rights on December 10, 1948. Essentially, this declaration primarily aims to uphold and respect human rights, CHRA added.

In the said statement, CHRA stressed that unfortunately, “signatories like the Philippine government continue to violate the human rights of their citizens’ prompting various sectors to gather regularly to remind the authorities of their obligations under international laws and covenants.”

Ruth Cervantes of the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights (Karapatan) presented the human rights situation in the country saying that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s regime is deemed to have the most number of human rights violations.

At the national level, the widespread violations of human rights are alarming. From 2001 to 2004, a total of 3,488 cases of human rights violations were documented by the Karapatan.

Atty. Randy Kinaud said that the Cordillera region suffers from the atrocities of the Arroyo regime. He added that a total of 1,073 cases of human rights violations were documented by the CHRO from 2001-2004. “These figures will certainly increase given that there are still cases which are undocumented and yearning for justice,” he stressed.

Kinaud mentioned that these cases include summary executions, arbitrary arrest and detention, harassment and intimidation. # via NORDIS

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