As the peasant movement in the country continues to call for the immediate release of Randall “Ka Randy” Echanis, deputy secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) who has been detained for exactly a year today, the Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK) is joining the leaders of KMP, friends and [...]

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today said that the call made by US ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney to punish human rights violators was “hollow and hypocritical.” The group instead demanded an end to US aid for human rights violators in the Philippines.

Attorney Clara Rita A. Padilla, Executive Director of EnGendeRights, hails U.S. President Obama’s act last Friday, January 23, in rescinding the Global Gag Rule. Under the policy, organizations that received USAID funding were prohibited from using their own funds to advocate for safe and legal abortion and provide for life-saving safe abortions services.
Atty. Padilla [...]

The National Union of People’s Lawyers, in a statement, described as a “bold decision” a Cordillera court’s decision finding “substantial evidence” to link President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and several of her men to the abduction and disappearance of activist James Balao.

HUMAN RIGHTS  At around 7 in the evening on Tuesday, unidentified men killed 39-year-old environmental activist leader Fernando “Dodong” Sarmiento in Compostela Valley Province. He was shot five times.

HUMAN RIGHTS  By Arthur L. Allad-iw |  Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have filed a resolution to investigate the arrest and continuing detention of human rights and labor lawyer Remigio Saladero Jr.

PRESS FREEDOM  | Two Philippine radio journalists, Dennis Cuesta and Martin Roxas, were slain in 2008 after reporting on local controversies. CPJ research over 17 years shows that the Philippines and Russia have been among the deadliest nations for the press—and among the worst in solving the murders.

HUMAN RIGHTS  By Ronalyn V. Olea |  At first glance, they looked like ordinary children. But deep within them are scarred souls and lost innocence because they are children-victims of human rights violations. They recently went to see the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy to tell her their tragic stories.

HUMAN RIGHTS  By Fr. Shay Cullen |  The few that strive to promote and persuade mankind to embrace the values of generosity, peace, cooperation, respect, equality, compassion and care, are the people whom we need to be, united in our goal of making those universal rights a reality for as many as possible.

HUMAN RIGHTS  By Alan Davis and Ma. Cecilia L. Rodriguez  |  In his radio broadcasts, Aresio Padrigao attacked city hall, the local government and, too, the local police and the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources office for what he saw was a failure to catch illegal loggers. On Nov. 17, he was shot dead.

HUMAN RIGHTS   By Ronalyn V. Olea |  The United Nations Human Rights Committee concluded that the Philippine government violated the rights of Eden Marcellana, then secretary general of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, and Eddie Gumanoy, a peasant leader, who were allegedly murdered by state security forces in Mindoro in 2003.

Government Should Seek Justice for Killings in Previous Crackdown
(New York, November 12, 2008) – A new anti-drugs campaign announced on November 7, 2008, by Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is likely to lead to serious human rights violations without major changes in policy and personnel, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch called on the [...]

A group of lawyers condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Arroyo government for listing lawyers in the military’s order of battle.
Based on the own monitoring and documentation of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (CODAL) from 2001 to 2008, there were [...]

(GENEVA) The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and the human rights group Karapatan today attended a briefing of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights a day before the scheduled review of the Philippine government’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights.
Among the issues raised were the [...]

A broad alliance of environmental groups, human rights organizations, religious groups, research organizations, academe, civil society groups, and people’s organizations called Panalipdan-Southern Mindanao lambasted the ongoing military operations in the hinterlands of Compostela Valley, particularly in the municipality of New Bataan.
“The ultimate objective of massive military operations in New Bataan and other municipalities of Compostela [...]