December 9, 2011

• Praying for victims of human rights abuse

  Thoughts

  The Philippines is notorious for the insincerity of its leaders to solve human rights cases in the country. And while many are suffering from the hands of abusive government agents, government human rights workers are busy solving cases of domestic violence. Not that they are less important, but when you deny the existence of human rights abuses by government agents and justifying it by saying that the Communist insurgents also commit human rights abuses, then there must be something wrong with the system.

  Today, we commemorate Human Rights Day and remember the people who are victims of human rights abuse.

  Although fairly peaceful on the outside, inside, the Philippines is in turmoil and not even international pressure could tame down the fiery and vengeful arm of government as it promotes and inculcates into the mind of its defenders the need to harass and if necessary kill people who have the inkling to help the poor and be one with the oppressed.

  Having surrounded myself with activists since college days, I have known and been close to many people who have become victim of abuse by the Philippine military and its civilian agents. Please allow me to share the stories of three of the people who have deeply touched my life:

  Benjaline "Beng" Hernandez
  Killed, April 5, 2002
  Arakan Valley, North Cotabato

  I met Beng during the National Congress of the College Editors' Guild of the Philippines in 1999 (or was it 2000?). She was a student from Ateneo de Davao, an exclusive University in Mindanao ran by the Jesuit priests. It was at that time that she was elected as the Guild's Vice President for Mindanao. From then we met several times. I guess the last time we met was at a National Council meeting where she was excited to inform us that she was going to be married. We continued our communication through SMS, sharing news and all. She was a friend - understanding and willing to listen. Perhaps its because of these two qualities that she became entangled with the struggle of the oppressed. Aside from being Vice President for the Guild, she was also a human rights worker and at her young age, a prominent personality in the feminist movement in Mindanao. I heard of the news of her killing on TV. I remember I was watching the news when I heard her name mentioned. I was not sure if it was her, so I called a friend and confirmed if it was really Beng who was killed in Cotabato. She was assassinated, shot at close range. Her beautiful face was no longer recognizable. Her only crime: she loved and fought for the rights of the oppressed.  

  Felicidad "Shiela" Katalbas
  Disappeared, January 25, 2007
  Kabankalan, Negros Occidental 

  Shiela was one of the first people I got to know when I was still a young activist. She always amazed us with stories of the farmers' struggles and of the farmers' kindness. She was always interested to listen to what we have to say and always made me feel that my thoughts were important, at the same time, she was always happy to share her opinion on stuff. She was simple and always encouraged us to bring shirts or small bags that she could share with the children of farmers when she would go to the communities. My last memory of Shiela was when she injured herself and asked me what she was supposed to do, since at that time I was a newly licensed Physical Therapist. She would then share stories of the movement during her time. She was a wonderful lady, full of energy, yet reserved enough to command respect among her peers. I learned of her abduction when I returned to Dumaguete from my brief stint in Manila. I was distraught and angry and thought that there was not enough effort to look for her. Shiela was abducted by paramilitary agents on board a van in broad daylight and in front of a government hospital in  Negros Occidental. You could just imagine that there were plenty of people at the time, yet, no one dared to come out to testify. She remains missing until today.

  Rachelle Mae Palang
  Killed, September 18, 2008
  Dauin, Negros Oriental 

  I first met Mae-Mae when I was helping the College Editors' Guild of the Philippines in Cebu. She was called Mae-Mae, I call her Palang. She was a happy and wonderful young lady who always had a reason to smile. But when it comes to her responsibilities, she was serious and never faltered in her duties. Despite juggling her studies with activism, she was able to graduate and get her license. She was malambing (sweet) and the last time we met was during a poetry reading. She was so happy and excited at the time, because she was fulfilling a dream. Little did I know that would be the last time that our paths would cross. Perhaps my biggest regret was not going to her wake, because I could not dare. Palang just passed the nursing licensure exam and she aced the National Medical Admission Test, the exam for those who wish to enter the medical profession. She was going to be a doctor. I refused to believe that she was no longer with us. But then the memory of her heroism continues in the heart of many. I pray that her friends at the Guild would continue to live her memory by continuing to fight what she fought for, only then will we keep Palang alive. (News article, here).

  Here is a wonderful critique by Amnesty International on the first year of President Aquino:

  AI Critique of Aquino One Year (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); //

  Read the recent Human Rights Report on the Philippines for 2011, here.

  (Source: Amnesty International and Karapatan)

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