Press Release
June 28, 2012
Reference: Cristina Palabay, Spokesperson, 0917-5003879
Angge Santos, Media Liaison, 0918-9790580
In Pres. Aquino’s 2nd year in office
Killing of 3rd witness to Ampatuan massacre, testament to prevailing impunity under Aquino – Karapatan
Karapatan today scored the reported killing of Alijol Ampatuan, the third witness in the Ampatuan massacre case to have suffered the same fate, as “it bears the seal of impunity prevalent under the Arroyo up to the current Aquino administration.”
Karapatan spokesperson and End Impunity Alliance convenor Cristina Palabay said “Alijol Ampatuan’s killing is a testament to the prevailing climate of impunity in the Philippines, where victims, their kin, and witnesses are silenced through summary executions and where justice for rights violations remains a distant reality under the Aquino presidency, as it approaches the 2nd year of term.”
Reports on Alijol’s killing came three weeks after the killing of Esmael Amil Enog, another witness to the killing of 58 journalists, lawyers, and individuals in November 2009, known as the Ampatuan Massacre. Reports on the killing of Enog coincided with the UN review of the Philippines’ compliance to international human rights treaties and obligations.
“Aquino should answer for his administration’s unforgivable inaction to successfully prosecute, put behind bars and convict perpetrators of rights abuses under Arroyo, despite the persistence of the victims and their relatives to file cases. The government’s special treatment of notorious violators like former Pres. Arroyo and the Ampatuans and the non-arrest of Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan remain as obstacles to meting out justice,” she added.
Karapatan attributed the Aquino administration’s lackluster performance of seek the accountability of these perpetrators to the consistency of the pattern of killings and rights abuses being perpetuated by Aquino’s state security forces to that of Arroyo.
“Aquino mimics Arroyo’s repressive and violent scourge against civilians and activists through his counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan. The implementation of the oplan has already resulted to 76 victims of extrajudicial killings and thousands of forcibly displaced peoples because of intense military operations and rights abuses in Mindanao, Samar, and Southern Tagalog, as well as in the rest of the provinces,” Palabay concluded. ###
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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
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Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District
Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org
KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.
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KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
ANAKBAYAN SAN JOSE 