THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION of Human Rights states that: Art.3 Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person; Art. 5 No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Art. 9 No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
The current regime of the tandem of Pres. Bongbong Marcos, Jr – VP Sara Duterte downplays the significance of a December 10 International Human Rights Day. There was no mention even by the mainstream media of a government official recognizing the importance of reminding the people about their Human Rights.
Only the usual Human Rights defenders among the perennial street parliamentarians have reminded government officials to carry out their mandate of seriously implementing the Constitution’s special focus on Human Rights, and relatedly more broadly, Social Justice.
“At least 571 civilians presented as armed rebels have also been forced to join fake surrender ceremonies, just so the Marcos Jr. regime could claim ‘accomplishments’ in its counterinsurgency war without touching on the deep-seated political and economic roots of the armed conflict.”
INTENSIFIED TERRORISM
Mainstream media failed or neglected to mention that December 10 is recognized as “International Human Rights Day.”
This administration’s non-recognition of this important day of giving special focus on Human Rights reflects its clear stand of downplaying, if not a deliberate negligence of, carrying out a program to protect the human rights of Filipinos.
To confirm this government’s program of deliberate violation of human rights of Filipinos, there has been “Intensified State Terrorism against the Filipino people under Marcos Jr.” This is according to the human rights watchdog, Karapatan Alliance Philippines.
RED TAGGING
In its official publication of April-June 2025, Karapatan Monitor, it claims that “Militarization reared its ugly head in rural areas, engendering numerous violations of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL).” These illegal acts were in accordance with Marcos Jr. blueprint, dubbed “National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) 2025-2028,” practically strengthening “the notorious National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)” to press onward its red/terrorist-tagging operations.
Documented incidents of human rights violations as of June 2025 under this blueprint, NAP-UPD 2025-2028 include, “1,206 victims of bombing; 67,204 victims of indiscriminate firing; and 45,097 victims of forced evacuation.”
Karapatan also reported that “At least 571 civilians presented as armed rebels have also been forced to join fake surrender ceremonies, just so the Marcos Jr. regime could claim ‘accomplishments’ in its counterinsurgency war without touching on the deep-seated political and economic roots of the armed conflict.”
HOPELESS WISH
Some facts of human rights violations: three environmental activists — Elgine Mungcal, Norman Ortiz, and Lee Sudario have forcibly disappeared, that is after having been arbitrarily designated as “terrorists,” under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA); trumped-up cases, by the NTF-ELCAC, of financing terrorism have been filed against six Cagayan Valley activists: Jackie Valencia, Isabelo Adviento, Cita Managuelod, Agnes Mesina, Walter Villegas, and Deo Montesclaros;
In Masbate, elements of the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the PA, the CIDG, Regional Intelligence Unit, Military Intelligence and Civil Operations and the PNP-Palanasshot and killed Joey Saludaga Oas, falsely claiming that Oas fired back as they were about to serve him a warrant; in Eastern Samar, elements of the 63rd IBPA killed 16-year old Jayson Grafil Padullo in an indiscriminate shooting incident in Sitio Bagong Barrio. There are many other HR violations by the AFP.
President Bongbong and VP Sara should stop the human rights violations of the AFP – a hopeless wish?