| 
Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights
Vancouver Steering Committee for the Stop the Killings in the Philippines Campaign
Communique
From “Roundtable Discussion on Human Rights in the Philippines”
Vancouver, Canada
Canadians commit to strengthen people-to-people solidarity to help stop the political killings in the Philippines
18 September 2007
Members from the Filipino community, academics, trade unionists, lawyers, church people, and human rights and social justice advocates came together in Vancouver last September 18 to strategize ways in which Canadians can actively support the struggle for genuine human rights in the Philippines.
Sponsored by the Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights (PCTFHR) and organized by the local Vancouver Steering Committee for the Stop the Killings in the Philippines Campaign, the forum gathered ideas about what can be done by Canadians and the Canadian government to pressure the government of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to put an end to the political killings and other human rights violations in the Philippines.
According to the Philippine human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), there have been over 885 victims of extra-judicial killings and close to 200 people have been forcibly disappeared since 2001. As well, more than one million people have been displaced because of intensifying militarization.
Ning Alcuitas, Western Canada Coordinator of the PCTFHR opened the roundtable discussion by remembering the victims of killings and state-terrorism in the Philippines and their families. Alcuitas stressed the important role Canadians and overseas Filipinos have contributed and can continue to play in supporting the Filipino people’s struggle for justice and genuine human rights. She underlined the important opportunity that the participants had to use the roundtable to advance the international campaign to “Stop the Killings in the Philippines.”
Dr. Constancio Claver, spokesperson of Hustisya-Northern Luzon, (Victims of Arroyo Regime United for Justice) provided the roundtable participants with the context of the deteriorating state of democracy and human rights in the country. Dr. Claver is a survivor of a political assassination attempt on his life that resulted in the death of his wife in July 2006. He explained that the rampant human rights violations and political killings are being justified by President Arroyo’s military counter-insurgency program “Oplan Bantay Laya” (Operation Freedom Watch). After laying out the political and economic context for the widespread use of state-terrorism in the Philippines, Dr. Claver emphasized the urgent need for direct solidarity with the victims of human rights violations and the Filipino people. He pointed out concrete ways that Canadians can support human rights victims by aligning with the objectives and programs of Hustisya. The Philippine-based organization provides peer and political support and programs for the families of victims of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, the survivors of frustrated killings and the victims of political persecution and other human rights violations under the Arroyo regime in their struggle for justice and an end to state terrorism.
After Dr. Claver’s presentation on the framework of human rights violations and killings in the Philippines, Canadians had the opportunity to respond to the Filipino people’s appeal for solidarity and support by sharing their insights and suggestions for action.
Janet Routledge, BC Regional Coordinator of the Public Services Alliance of Canada shared about her recent trip to the Women’s International Solidarity Affair in the Philippines. Routledge highlighted the need to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people in the present context of neo-liberal globalization which is devastating the lives of workers, the urban poor, entire communities in the Philippines. She shared that Canadian workers should act in solidarity with workers in the Philippines as they share similar fates and experiences due to privatization, deregulation and liberalization in the global economy.
Glenys Verhulst, an intern with the United Church of Canada spoke about her recent exposure trips to the Philippines as a church intern. Since 2001, at least 25 church people have been killed and four others have survived assassination attempts. Verhulst explained that these statistics of political persecution of progressive church people did not include those who have received death threats or those under government surveillance for their pro-people activities. Verhulst urged Canadian church members to take the issue of state repression seriously because church peoples’ partners in the Philippines are being harassed and killed for their work with the poor and progressives in the country.
Gail Davidson, a lawyer and Executive Director of Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada provided a legal brief and insight into the duty under international law of the Philippine government to investigate extra-judicial killings. She focused her presentation on emphasizing the need for Canadians working in solidarity with the Filipino people to work together. Davidson appealed to the participants gathered by the PCTFHR and the Vancouver Steering Committee of the “Stop the Killings in the Philippines” Campaign to coordinate and concentrate efforts to pressure the Canadian government and Canadian corporate interests in the Philippines to take action on the killings.
Dr. Geraldine Pratt of the University of British Columbia shared her research about transnational solidarity between the peoples of Canada and the Philippines. Dr. Pratt interviewed members of the PCTFHR’s November 2006 Canadian Human Rights Fact-Finding Mission to the Philippines. Dr. Pratt commented on the lack of public knowledge about the deteriorating state of human rights in the Philippines attributing this deficiency to the nature of the Canadian media. She also laid emphasis on the distinct character of the mission, pointing out that members of the mission did not travel to the Philippines with the mindset of providing charity, but instead went with the understanding and intention of building genuine people-to-people solidarity. Dr. Pratt’s contribution also linked the out-migration of thousands of Filipinos to Canada, mainly as live-in caregivers, as an “enduring tie” that Canadians have to the political and economic crisis in the Philippines. She encouraged the organization of further fact-finding missions with broader support and participation.
To end the roundtable discussion, Aiyanas Ormond of the Bus Riders Union, a member organization of the Vancouver Steering Committee for the Stop the Killings in the Philippines campaign spoke about the international campaign and how Canadians have been participating in the campaign since 2006. Ormond described the two-pronged approach the PCTFHR and Vancouver campaign Steering Committee have been engaged in supporting human rights in the Philippines. On a national level, the PCTFHR has been coordinating lobbying efforts to: i) have the Canadian government hold a parliamentary hearing on the Philippines and; ii) re-direct Canadian foreign aid from President Arroyo’s government to organizations involved in building genuine human rights in the Philippines such as Karapatan. Also nationally, the PCTFHR mobilized support for the successfully completed March 2007 Permanent People’s Tribunal: Second Session on the Philippines by sending Canadian observers and raising funds to support the travel of witnesses from the Philippines to the tribunal in the Hague. On a local level, the Steering Committee has been conducting educational and public-awareness activities, press conferences, rallies at the Philippine consulate, and fundraising initiatives to contribute to the building of genuine people-to-people solidarity. Ormond urged the roundtable participants to take part in the international campaign by bringing their ideas, energy and talents to the local committee as a concrete expression of their actions and solidarity with the Philippines.
To open the general discussion, a written message was read out from Member of Parliament Bill Siksay. Tim Louis, a lawyer and Vancouver City Councilor from 1999 to 2005 helped open the general discussion by stating his certainty that the movement for human rights in the Philippines will achieve victory in the long-run because it is based on a social movement that addresses people’s fundamental needs and interests. He also pointed out the particular role that Canadians can have by advocating for Canadian corporate interests in the Philippines to consider human rights violations in the Philippines.
In the open discussion, many ideas and concrete suggestions for coordinated actions emerged.
The discussion underscored the need for greater coordination and concerted efforts to continue to build people-to-people solidarity with the Philippines. The participants agreed to build this solidarity by doing their part to raise public awareness in their various communities and sectors and by carrying out the “Stop the Killings in the Philippines” campaign based on their capacity. The PCTFHR and Vancouver Steering Committee of the campaign committed to address the need to cooperate and share resources by agreeing to coordinate the implementation of the ideas and actions that emerged from the roundtable. The Steering Committee invited the participants to join the committee, and to participate in its upcoming rally on Friday, September 21 at 4:00 pm at the Philippine consulate in Vancouver (700 West Pender, Downtown) to mark the 35th Anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines and to seek justice and an end to state terrorism under President Arroyo.
In a show of commitment, the roundtable participants signed a mock-petition denouncing the Arroyo administration for its human rights violations and use of state-terrorism and urging the Canadian government to act immediately on the issue.#
For photos of the roundtable discussion, visit http://kalayaancentre.net/assets/images/photos/2007/roundtable18sept07stkpvancouver.htm
LIST OF ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS:
1. Ning Alcuitas, Western Coordinator, Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights
2. May Farrales, Executive Director, Philippine Women Centre of B.C.; Member, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
3. Beth Dollaga, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
4. Sheila Farrales, Filipino Nurses Support Group,
5. Hetty Alcuitas, Philippine Women Centre of B.C.
6. Florchita Bautista, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
7. Cindy Oravalo, Telecommunication Workers Union
8. Rev. Dr. Douglas Throop, Ordained Minister of the BC Conference UCC, Ellesmere United Church
9. Dr. Sandor Halebsky, author and retired Professor of Sociology (Latin American Studies), Cornell University, NY
10. Kay Sinclair, Vice-President, Public Service Alliance of Canada – BC
11. Orval Chapman, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and United Church of Canada member
12. Tim Louis, Barrister and Solicitor, Tim Louis and Company
13. Paul Corcoran, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
14. Janet Routledge, Regional Coordinator of the Public Services Alliance of Canada
15. Dr. Geraldine Pratt, University of British Columbia, Department of Geography
16. Dr. Constancio Claver, Spokesperson of Hustisya-Northern Luzon, (Victims of Arroyo Regime United for Justice)
17. Aiyanas Ormond, Bus Riders Union
18. Gail Davidson, Executive Director, Lawyers Rights Watch Canada
19. Glenys Verhulst, Intern, United Church of Canada
20. Marysol Torres, Vancouver Internationalist Bolivarian Circle "Bob Everton"
21. Roberto Gamboa Vancouver Internationalist Bolivarian Circle "Bob Everton"
22. Lawrence Santiago, Graduate Studies, University of British Columbia
23. Yvette Stephenson, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
24. Monica Urrutia, Philippine Women Centre of B.C.
Expressed Regrets:
1. Fred Muzin, President, Hospital Employees Union
2. Libby Davies, Member of Parliament, Vancouver-East
--
|
