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Philippine NGOs to report to UN on alleged human rights violation under Aquino gov't

Xinhua, June 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Philippine non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are set to report this week to the United Nations on the alleged human rights violations committed by the outgoing administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III against the indigenous peoples, their officials said Wednesday.

Rex Reyes Jr., general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and co-convenor of the Philippine Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Watch, said two oral statements will be delivered during the 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on June 17 and 20.

"Some of the concerns to be forwarded to the UN HRC are human rights violations committed against the indigenous people of Mindanao," he said, citing specifically the violent dispersal of farmers in southern Philippine city of Kidapawan over two months ago, which killed at least three protesters and injured several others.

"Militarized Lumad communities and the ill-effect of the government's counter-insurgency, and specific incidents showing abuse of power such as the violent dispersal of farmers and indigenous people demanding rice from the government last April 1 in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato will be highlighted by the Filipino NGO representatives," he added.

The oral statements would come from the NCCP, a convenor of the Philippine UPR Watch, and Kalumaran, an alliance of IPs in Mindanao. The Philippine UPR Watch is a platform of faith-based and human rights organizations engaging with the UN Universal Periodic Review process and brings to the attention of the UN and the international community the human rights situation in the country.

During the report of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on Peaceful Assembly and of Association on June 17, Johanna Dela Cruz of the NCCP Human Rights Program will present an oral statement on the April 1 Kidapawan incident, Reyes said.

On June 20, during the report of Dr. Chaloka Beyani, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Lumad (IP) leader Kerlan Fanagel will present the situation of the displaced Lumads taking refuge in UCCP Haran and Tandag City, he added.

The trip of the NGO representatives is one of the preliminary activities prior to the Universal Periodic Review on the Philippines. The third cycle of review on the Philippine government's compliance to international human rights obligations is set in 2017. Endit