Final Draft Concept Notes End Impunity Alliance Background and Rationale The voices of victims of human rights

violations during Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos rule continue to cry for justice almost a year after Benigno C. Aquino, III assumed the presidency. The families of the victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances carry on with their search for their loved ones and their quest for justice which remains elusive. The supposedly effective remedies continue to be denied them. Killings, abductions, arrests, torture, incarceration, forced evacuation -- sadly, the climate of impunity in the country goes on to this day. Next to the Marcos dictatorship, the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration is notorious not only for corruption and abuse of power but also for the gross, systematic and brazen violation of human rights. In her desire to crush her critics, particularly those in the legal progressive movement, GMA launched a bloody counter-insurgency campaign, Oplan Bantay Laya I and II, which also targeted leaders and activists of the democratic movement, human rights advocates and media people. The human toll was unparalleled: 1,206 victims of extrajudicial execution, more than 200 desaparecidos and thousands more victims of other forms of human rights abuse. In spite of national and international condemnation, gross human rights violations continued unabated under GMAs watch. The Arroyo government formed task forces to supposedly investigate the extrajudicial killings of activists and members of the media, but they were actually used to mask the reigning state terror and culture of impunity. Almost two years later the massacre of 58 individuals in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, most of whom were women and media practitioners, remains unsolved. Hardly any of the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings has been made to answer for their crime. The most notorious among them have been rewarded with promotion or transferred to other units to escape prosecution. The butcher Ret. Major General Jovito Palparan, Jr. was praised by GMA in her State of the Nation Address. Local and international human rights organizations and advocates, including UN Special Rapporteur Prof. Philip Alston, have repeatedly condemned the extrajudicial killings and the prevailing culture of impunity in the country which emboldens soldiers, the police, paramilitary forces, warlords and their armed goons to commit violence and atrocities. Some cases brought to the UN by the victims kin and human rights groups and advocates,

like Karapatan and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), received positive views from the UN bodies which affirmed the state's accountability. Impunity prevails because, while President Benigno Noynoy Aquino makes pronouncements on advancing human rights and has appointed former CHR Chairperson Atty. Leila De Lima as Secretary of the Department of Justice, his government continues to pursue the same kind of state militarism and terror against the Filipino people. The Aquino government extended OBL II up to end December 2010 and put in its place in January 2011 a supposedly new brand of counter-insurgency dubbed Oplan Bayanihan. OPB is touted as respectful of human rights but close scrutiny shows it up as Oplan Bantay Laya with makeup. It is likewise patterned after the US COIN Guide. Since Pres. Noynoy Aquino assumed office on July 1, 2010 up to March 31, 2011, Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement o Peoples Rights) has already documented 45 cases of extrajudicial killings, five cases of enforced disappearance and more than a hundred cases of illegal arrest and detention. More than 2,000 villagers have been forcibly evacuated from rural communities. One can remember that even before Aquino took his oath as the 15th President of the country, he presented himself as a human rights advocate committed to solve cases of human rights violations perpetrated under GMA. In his speech before the diplomatic community on March 31, 2010, he said, cases of extrajudicial killings need to be solved, not just identify the perpetrators but have them captured and sent to jail. However, almost a year into his presidency, no one has been hailed to court for human rights violations. Thus, the victims of human rights violations and their families have gathered their strength and once again took it upon themselves to go after the perpetrators of state violence and to help end the culture of impunity that pervades Philippine society. They have started a series of filings of civil and/or criminal lawsuits against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Palparan and military officers and elements who have been identified as human rights violators. These efforts by the victims, their kin and human rights advocates should be supported by all who are desirous of ending impunity and advancing human rights and democracy in the country. It is in this light that efforts are being exerted to establish a network to end impunity, help victims and their families get justice, push the Noynoy Aquino government to stop political killings, illegal arrests and other gross human rights violations and keep the Presidents promise of going after GMA and those in her administration who carried out a reign of state terror and violence against her dissenters. This network hopes to give flesh to the words of

the prophet Isaiah for everyone to work for justice so that there will be peace and security forever (Isaiah 32:17). The Alliance and its Objectives The End Impunity Alliance is a loose network of human rights defenders and advocates; victims of human rights violations and their families, friends and supporters; civil libertarians; church people; members of the law profession, media and the academe; other professionals; progressive legislators and government functionaries; and all other freedom-loving individuals. The Alliance will be led by its Convenors who will primarily steer the implementation of the networks plans and gather more people to join in. A Secretariat will be formed to assist the Convenors and coordinate the activities of the network and its members initiatives. The Convenors will select a Steering Committee to call for meetings of the Alliance, issue statements on issues related to the unities and program of action of the Alliance and lead in the Alliances activities. The Alliance has the following objectives: 1) To support the calls and initiatives for justice for victims of human rights violations under the Arroyo government such as the filing of cases against GMA and top military and police officials responsible for the HRVs; 2) To gather and coordinate political, moral, legal and material support and initiatives for the victims and their families in their quest for justice; 3) To increase public awareness on the current human rights situation and highlight the call to stop political killings and other human rights violations under the Aquino administration; 4) To educate the general public on the need to end impunity; and 5) To coordinate national and international efforts to end impunity. Activities: 1. Convene and launch the alliance through a general meeting or conference of the following (a good time might be before the SONA): Victims and families Representatives of human rights organizations Lawyers: NUPL, IBP, Wiloci, Portia and individual lawyers Church: Bishops and other religious superiors

Media: NUJP, kin of Ampatuan massacre victims and other media killings, individual columnists and writers Academe: Deans, professors, acad union leaders Health professionals Kin and friends of slain environmental activists Artists and showbiz personalities Senators, Representatives, LGU and line agency officials Other allies Among the initial convenors are as follows: Rev. Fr. Rex RB. Reyes Jr., General Secretary, NCCP Most Rev. Deogracias S. Iiguez, Jr., D.D., Co-chair, Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) Bp. Solito K. Toquero, United Methodist Church, Co-chair, EBF Rev. Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, OP, Co-chair, Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines The Most Rev. Eprhaim Fajutagana, Obispo Maximo, Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bp. Reuel Norman O. Marigza, General Secretary, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) Bp. Elmer Bolocon, Bishop Emeritus, UCCP, EBF Dr. Editha Burgos, Chairperson, Desaparecidos Marie Hilao Enriquez, Chairperson, Karapatan Joel Lamangan, film director Boy Abunda, talk show host Cristina Palabay, Convenor, Tanggol Bayi Atty. Ephraim Cortez, National Union of Peoples Lawyers Atty. Nasser Marohomsalic, Integrated Bar of the Philippines Nardy Sabino, Promotion of Church Peoples Response (PCPR) Br. Pablo F.Ramirez Jr., O. Carm, TFUC Jossel I. Ebesate, Staff Regent, UP System Prof. Rolando B. Tolentino, Dean, CMC, UP Diliman Fr. Joe Dizon, Solidarity Philippines Fr. Jonash Joyohoy, Ramento Project for Rights Defenders Dr. Eleanor Jara Jeff R. Vito, College of the Holy Spirit Kiri Dalena, filmmaker Felix B. Parinas, National President, All UP Workers Union Gwen Pimentel Rev. Luisito Saliendra, UTS Prof. Lex Muga, Ateneo de Manila Amy Muga, CEFAM Ateneo

Prof. Danilo Arao, Assistant Professor of Journalism, UP Diliman Norma Dollaga, Secretary General, KASIMBAYAN 2. Provide support to the filing of class- and lawsuits against GMA and top military and police officers responsible for gross HR violations through the following: a. Generate legal and political support for the filing of cases and through the period of court proceedings; b. Issue statements in support of the class- and lawsuits; c. Monitor developments and take necessary support actions; d. Help raise funds for required filing fees and support campaign expenses; and e. Help provide sanctuary and gather material support for victims, witnesses and kin of victims for their protection and safety. 3. Conduct public awareness campaigns on the dismal human rights situation in the country and the need to end impunity through the following: a. Organize End Impunity campus tours, fora, discussions, cultural events and gatherings (note: think of a catchy packaging for this) b. Release statements in the media in support of the call to end impunity, stop the killings and defend civil liberties c. Optimal and creative use of tri- and new media d. Paid advertisement by September (Sept 21 anniversary of the declaration of martial law) 4. Lobby for the passage of laws for the defense, promotion and protection of human rights such as those on enforced disappearances, internally displaced persons, human rights defenders, command responsibility, etc. Work for the repeal of legislations and executive orders that promote impunity such as the Anti-Terrorism Law and the EO on paramilitary and civilian armed groups of politicians. Monitor the implementation of the Anti-Torture Law. Monitor and evaluate efficacy for the victims and relatives of the various writs (habeas corpus, amparo, habeas data) under the Aquino judiciary.

cep/mhe/tpl (25may11)