NPA PINAWALANG SALA NI PHILIP ALSTON

Sa isang 16-pahinang report na may petsang Abril 29, 2009 na sinumite ni United Nation Special Rapporteur Philip Alston sa Human Rights Council ay nagmistulang napawalang sala ang mga New People’s Army sa kaliwat-kanang mga pagpatay nito sa kanilang mga dating kasama sa partido at mga nahatulan ng kamatayan sa kanilang tinatawag na “kangaroo court”.

Ayon na mismo sa representante ng UN, ang mga NPA ay kadalasang gumagawa ng extrajudicial executions na kanilang kinukubli sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag nito bilang ‘revolutionary justice”. Ngunit ang nakakalungkot ay ang ganitong uri ng pagpatay ay hindi man lamang kinondena ni Alston sa kahit anong parte ng nasabing report na kaniyang ibinigay sa pamunuan ng UN Human Right Council kamakailan lamang.

Dahil dito, malinaw na ang isang representante ng human rights ang siya mismong nagpapawalang bahala sa mga totoong nangyayari sa ating bansa. Marahil ay nagbubulag-bulagan si Alston sa mga naging biktima ng mga NPA na kung ating bibilangin ay umabot na sa 20 simula lamang ng taon na ito; at ito lamang ay ang mga nababasa natin at nababalitaan. Paano pa kaya ang mga iba? Karamihan sa kanilang mga naging biktima ay mga tao na hindi man lamang nabigyan ng pagkakataong ipagtanggol ang sarili sa mga paratang na kadalasang ginagamit ng mga rebelde bilang rason upang walang kagatol-gatol na pumatay ng kanilang kapwa.

Ilan sa kanilang naging biktima ay ang isang menor de edad na si Ricky Roman na taga Sorsogon na kanilang pinaratangan na isang snatcher bago siya pinatay. Hindi ba’t si Alston pa mismo ang nagsabi na sa isang dyaryo (Manila Times) na “no one deserves to be shot or stabbed to death for petty crimes”? Si Nestor Pajabera na dati nilang kasapi na pagkatapos magbalik loob sa gobyerno ay kanilang pinatay. Bukod sa menor de edad, kadalasan nilang biktima ay mga sundalo at mga pulis na kanilang pinapatay habang ang mga ito ay papauwi sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya – malayo sa bakbakan - o di kaya ay inosenteng namamalengke. Hindi rin nila pinapatakas ang mga retiradong sundalo tulad na lamang ni Ernesto Evasco na pinaslang sa Lucena City noong Pebrero 2, 2009.

Ang mga NPA ay hindi rin namimili ng oras ng pag-atake tulad na lamang nang kanilang patayin ang isang dating barangay captain na si Augusto Ceasar ARANA habang kasama nito ang kaniyang 12 anyos na anak - na nalagay ang buhay nito sa alanganin - sa Davao City. Sa patuloy na pagmamatigas ni Alston na hindi pansinin at ipagwalang bahala ang patuloy na pagpatay ng NPA sa bansa ay nagmistulang taga-suporta tuloy ang representante ng nasabing armadong grupo. Ito ba ang gusto niya? Kung gusto talaga ni Philip Alston na maging patas at mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga naging biktima ng extrajudicial killings sa bansa ay dapat kondinahin din niya ang mga NPA at i-rekomenda kay Pangulong Arroyo na ito ay lutasin sa lalong madaling panahon.

KARAPATAN’S POOR BODY COUNT ON POLITICAL KILLINGS

On April 01, 2009, the human rights group Karapatan once again became the harbinger of death as it claimed that they have already counted a total of 17 political killings from January to date of this year. Their current count included Rebelyn Pitao who was abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in Davao Del Norte in the early part of March 2009. Surprisingly, Karapatan has once again failed to update its yearly count and the published update figure of such a list so that scores of victims of the infamous New People’s Army or NPA purging that has hounded the underground movement in the 80s and is said to be still practiced by the rebels during our current generation were not included. The families of these victims, some of whom are still buried and are yet to be discovered by authorities, has long been appealing to the human rights group to echo their clamor for a long overdue and much delayed justice for their loved ones since they too were victims of human rights violations and were robbed of their rights to live.

The families of the so-called Leyte mass grave victims, in particular, have been feeling the perversity of our justice system as one of those accused in the mass killing was able to post a P100,000.00 bail to a non-bailable offense and with no corresponding explanation from the Supreme Court as to why he was granted provisional release. Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo was arrested on March 16, 2007 by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by a regional trial court for multiple murder and subsequently detained for 18 days at the Manila Police District headquarters on United Nations Avenue in Ermita. However, on April 03, 2007 Mr Ocampo virtually walked away from his criminal charges when the Supreme Court granted his request to annul the RTC decision.

And because of this, some quarters have already questioned Karapatan’s leaning, preference in choosing victims to be championed and was also charged of being biased in the dispense of its assistance. A member of a local human rights group argued that “Karapatan should be impartial in reporting the number of political killings in the country as the government is not the only existing entity or group in our nation that is capable of carrying out such a crime against human rights”. The advocate also pointed out that in order for Karapatan to be effective in its crusade against human rights violation it must “report without partiality the summary executions implemented both by the government and that of the New People’s Army since both groups have abused its power and authority and are guilty of mercenary deaths”.

It would help Karapatan if it is reminded every now and then that the fight against human rights violations knows no race, age, gender, political leanings, religion nor social status in life. Karapatan’s fight against human rights violations should not only be geared towards pinning down the Armed Forces of the Philippines but should also be targeted towards putting down the New People’s Army. It is the right way to uphold human rights.