Philippines blocking entry of UN special rapporteurs and bodies

Geneva, Switzerland- Leaders of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Karapatan together with relatives of victims of enforced disappearances held a dialogue with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (WGEID) here to urge them to come to the Philippines and investigate the increased incidence of the enforced disappearances under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime. But the committee said that along with other UN bodies and special rapporteurs the Philippine government has not responded to their request for invitation letters since last year and in effect blocking their official entry into the country.
The delegation of activists were welcomed and heard by the whole committee chaired by eminent Mexican human rights lawyer Santiago Corcuera.
Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of Karapatan tackled the current human rights situation in the Philippines and explained that aside from extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances are now also prevalent in the country.
“The cases of enforced disappearances are escalating and if this continues then it will not take long that today’s cases of desaparacidos will equal or even surpass those during Marcos’ time. The Macapagal-Arroyo regime is really a monstrous human rights violator, that aside from abducting activists it has now even resorted to abducting whole families and using the scheme of abducting a family member to blackmail or get an activist relative, as what happened with the case of Leni Robinos,”
As for her part Merdeka Limjoco, daughter of Philip Limjoco who was abducted by military agents last May 2006, narrated the anguish of their family in looking for their father. They are hoping that the WGEID can help in finding him.
Afterwards Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, showed that more than half of the victims of enforced disappearances are rural people, the most known of which are Ka Nilo Arado, national council member of KMP who was abducted last April and Jonas Burgos who was abducted on the same month.
“Peasants are being abducted because we continuously assert our right to land and genuine agrarian reform. We are asking the WGEID to come to the Philippines to see the real situation and help us in finding our friends and comrades,” said Ramos.
The WGEID responded by saying that they have already written to the Macapagal-Arroyo government since March 2006 for them to be invited to the Philippines but the regime has not answered up to now. They said that they will try to follow up their request, so that they can come at the earliest time possible. Other special rapporteurs that have written to the Philippine government but up till now has not been answered are for Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism - Martin Scheinin , Food - Jean Ziegler and Human Rights Defenders - Hina Jilani. By not answering their requests the Macapagal-Arroyo regime is creating an impression upon the rapporteurs that it is hiding something. # # #

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