MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 11, 2008) – Politicians opposed to President Gloria Arroyo’s rule on Wednesday criticized her allegedly covering up for the true state of human rights situation in the Philippines.
They said Arroyo’s efforts to swath the capital in larger-than life posters to desperately convince the public that they are living in the lap of economy luxury ring hollow in the face of continued unresolved political killings and disappearances.
“GMA's posters proclaim ‘Ramdam ang Kaunlaran’. Certainly for the hundreds of victims of extrajudicial killings and their families, no amount of economic progress—which is a lie anyway—will assuage their loss,”" United Opposition spokesman lawyer Adel Tamano said.
Randam ang Kaularan is Arroyo’s anti-poverty campaign. Tamano said that nothing has changed since the Human Rights Watch, a respected international human-rights organization last year criticized the Philippine government, particularly the military, for what it called as a "dirty war" against left-leaning activists and journalists throughout the country.
A son of former Filipino leader Joseph Estrada and mayor of San Juan City, JV Ejercito said the issue of Arroyo’s controversial presidency is still a big issue in the country.
“People cannot expect political stability along with economic stability to return as long as the issue of the president's illegitimacy persists along with the scandals plaguing the Arroyo regime.”
“She is the problem. Unless she steps down earlier we can never see an improvement until at least 2010 since GMA's main concern is survival. Her priority is not to do well for the country but to push for her own self interest,” Ejercito said.
The Human Rights Watch report entitled "Scared Silent: Impunity for Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines,” detailed the killings of members of leftist political parties and nongovernmental organizations, journalists, outspoken clergy, anti-mining activists, and agricultural reform activists.
Since 2001, a local rights group Karapatan has recorded 882 extra-judicial killings and 185 enforced disappearances, but the military has disputed the figures. Last year political killings left 33, compared to at least 96 in 2006.
No military personnel have been convicted and families of the disappeared have been given no help in finding their kin. (With reports from Marlene Salgado)
