HONG KONG—As the whole world observes the International Women’s Day today, March 8, the Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP) condemned the cold-blooded murder of typhoon Pablo survivor Cristina Morales Jose early this week.
Jose was one of the women leaders of Barug Katawhan, a group comprising survivors of typhoon Pablo in Baganga town. She was shot dead in Barangay Binondo, Baganga—where she served as a village councilor–Monday evening, just as she was heading home from a Barangay Council meeting.
In a statement signed by Bruce Van Voorhis and Emman Villanueva, co-convenors of HKCAHRPP, the group said the killing of Jose only meant one thing—“the spate of political killings and other forms of human rights violations perpetuated by the Philippine state is intensifying and impunity under the Benigno Aquino III government remains prevalent.”
The group said that apparently, the “Aquino government has done nothing to stop extrajudicial killings, and other forms of human rights violations” over the years.
“His government is not keen on bringing the perpetrators of these dastardly acts to justice that is why impunity persists in the country. But whenever, members of his cabinet and allied individuals and groups are on fire because of different accusations of corruptions and wrongdoings against the people, the Aquino government is ever ready to defend them,” the group said.
“This obvious double standard of the Aquino government aggravates the sufferings of the Filipino people especially in typhoon-affected areas in Davao Oriental,” the group added.
Jose’s group– Barug Katawhan (People, Rise Up!)—staged a barricade in front of the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao City recently, confiscating sacks of rice and boxes of noodles. It was an offshoot of the previous barricade that they staged along the highway in Montevista town in Compostela Valley Province on January 15 where they were able to force DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman to order a release of 10,000 sacks of rice.
Before she was murdered, Jose has reported the alleged “food blockade” by soldiers belonging to the 67th Infantry Battalion stationed in Bangaga. After their barricade, the members of the Barug Katawhan were also reportedly blacklisted.
The 10th Infantry Division, the mother unit of the 67th IB, denied the allegation.
The Hong Kong-based group said Jose only “asked for food for her constituents but what they gave her were bullets.”
The group has called on Aquino government to “call for an impartial investigation on the dastardly killing of Cristina Morales Jose and other victims of human rights violations in the country.”
“Once and for all, Mr. President, we are calling you to bring the perpetuators of extra-judicial killings and other forms of human rights violations to the hall of justice. This could be the only way to end impunity in the country,” the group said.
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