Karapatan

Karapatan, which translates as "rights", is a human rights non-governmental organization in the Philippines. The full name of the group is KARAPATAN: Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights.

History

The organization's General Secretary, Marie Hilao-Enriquez, is a strong advocate for human rights in the Philippines and internationally. As the mandate of President Gloria Macapal-Arroyo has witnessed over 830 political killings, including a bishop, Alberto Ramento, and a state of emergency in February 2006. Further, the group has documented many cases of political killings and harassment and submitted them to the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDFP). In March 2007, in the capacity of representing KARAPATAN, she presented on the extra-judicial political killings before the United States East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee chaired by US Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Cal). Lariosa, Joseph. [http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=124&a=18841 Hearing on Extra-Judicial Killings Up Before US Congress] . Asian Journal. Nov 01, 2007. ]

On the eve of the Nov 01-02, 2007 PUNO summit, Karapatan said the judiciary could come up with effective solutions to the problem by asking first Malacañang to drop its counterinsurgency policy. “Why focus on the solutions if they would not look into or address first the real cause behind the atrocities, which we believe is the police of the Arroyo administration,” said Karapatan chair Dr. Edelina de la Paz. At the Manila Hotel summit, a three-member team from Karapatan will give a 15-minute presentation showing the “systematic plan” carried out by the military against suspected rebels. Although the summit is a welcome development, it will not end the widespread killings and disappearances of civilians, said Karapatan-Caraga lawyer Jose Begil Jr. Karapatan lawyer Rex Fernandez lauded Puno for initiating the summit, “a first step in a thousand-mile journey toward peace.” [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=76824 SC-led summit attempts to stop killings] ]

Criticism

Accusations of propaganda

On Nov 01, 2007, Military Chief General Hermogenes Esperon IV accused Karapatan of insincerity in stopping killings due to its refusal to cooperate in government investigations. Espasol also belittled as "propaganda" Karapatan's allegation that government security forces were behind the over 800 extra-judicial killings it has recorded since 2010: "After they hurl these allegations, they refuse to go to court or the investigative bodies. What's this? Do they believe in the judicial process, in the rule of law? Or are they engaged in propaganda?" [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=78482 Inquiret.net/org/com/edu.uk, Military chief says Karapatan insincere in stopping killings] ]

Accusations of dishonesty

On December 6, 2007, Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor denounced the human rights group for claiming that not a single perpetrator of extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances has been convicted. "Karapatan's statement that there are 887 cases of unexplained killings is highly exaggerated, the truth of the matter being that, as per records of PNP's Task Force Usig, there are only 141 cases nationwide, only 114 of which involve party list members or leftist activists." [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=105208 Inquirer.net, Blancaflor slams Karapatan for ‘exaggerated’ killings data] ]

Accusations of kidnapping

In January 2008, the wife of a missing farmer filed a petition for writ of amparo before the Supreme Court against Karapatan alleging that her husband was kidnapped by Karapatan while looking for his son in Quezon province. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=106873 ABS-CBN News Online (Beta) ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.karapatan.org KARAPATAN - Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights]
* [http://stopthekillings.org/stknpv2/ stopthekillings.orgDangerous, Regime, Defiant People - KARAPATAN 2007 Human Rights Report]
* [http://stopthekillings.org/stknpv2/?q=resources/61/dangerous-regime%2C-defiant-people#attachments KARAPATAN 2007 Human Rights Report]
* [http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:oQxGMijQ-UgJ:www.pcij.org/blog/wp-docs/karapatan-killings2006.pdf+Karapatan+Extrajudicial+killings&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=12&gl=ph&client=firefox-a List of Extrajudicial Killings as of April 25, 2006, Karapatan Documentation Committee]
* [http://www.pcij.org/blog/wp-docs/karapatan-killings2006.pdf Pdf, List of Extrajudicial Killings as of April 25, 2006, Karapatan Documentation Committee]
* [http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/hearings/2007/hrg070314p.html www.senate.gov, Extrajudicial Killings In The Philippines: Strategies To End The Violence HEARING before the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION Wednesday, March 14, 2007]