CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE
CORDILLERA HUMAN RIGHTS ALLIANCE

September 11, 2009

On the Malacanang-initiated Consultation
regarding the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP)

The CPA and the CHRA turned down the invitation to participate in the Malacanang-initiated area consultation on its National Human Rights Action Plan(NHRAP) this September 10-11, 2009 here in Baguio City, as the event only and clearly intends to whitewash the US-Arroyo Regime’s accountability on the numerous human rights violations it perpetrated against the peoples of the Cordillera and the Filipino people as a whole.

This consultation was initiated by the Philippine Human Rights Committee (PHRC) – a body created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo  to serve as her advisory body “to address human rights concerns in the country”.

The Committee was formed last January 27, 2002 - at the start of Operation Plan Bantay Laya I and was strengthened almost at the same time when Operation Plan Bantay Laya II was launched in December 2006.  Since its formation, it has been silent on the spate of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances and the state policy behind these.  Rather than conducting a serious probe on violations, it has released statements and lies defending the Arroyo regime on the matter of the State’s accountability to its human rights violations.   

We, our leaders and members, are victims of this regime’s terrorist rampage - of the killings and enforced disappearance of activists, progressive leaders, and others who are critical of its policies and program. This regime has further displaced and marginalized the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera due to its policy of imperialist and corporate plunder of the remaining resources of the region. In response to our resistance, the regime continues to militarize and bomb indigenous territories both as a counter-insurgency strategy and to secure its aggressive plunder of indigenous territories.

It has been one year since the enforced disappearance of James Balao by State security forces. It has been 4 years since the killing of Pepe Manegdeg and Albert Terredano; 3 years since the killing of Markus Bangit and Alyce Omengan-Claver; 8 years since the killing of Peter Dangiwan by killers of this Regime and countless others who still cry for justice.

The culture of impunity is also continuing with the US-Arroyo Regime’s temerity to accuse cause-oriented groups being tagged as sectoral fronts of revolutionary formations as being responsible behind the killings.  In the past years, it has awarded the identified/suspected perpetrators with promotions such as the case of the promotions given to Ret. Gen Jovito Palparan and Col. Pedro Ramos.

Last May, the PHRC itself was responsible for the statement that quickly dismissed the enforced disappearance of Melissa Roxas – calling it “staged” despite the truthful accounts of Ms. Roxas.  

Our non-participation to the consultation is based on these.

We refuse to be used by the Arroyo government to affirm the façade it wants to project to the international community – that it respects and upholds the rights of the Filipino people when its bloody record of injustice and violations says otherwise.

We have a word of advice for the PHRC as an advisory body – if it is really bent on addressing the human rights issues in the country, it should advise the President to sincerely value and prioritize the Peace Talks where the issue of human rights is a main concern.  It should ensure the facilitation the delivery of justice to thousands of victims of the Arroyo regime.  #

For reference:

Beverly Longid
Chairperson
Cordillera Peoples Alliance
cp: 09209191820  

Jude Baggo
Secretary General
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance
cp:  09189621005