Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights (PCTFHR)
Statement

CANADIANS HORRIFIED THAT RABID HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATOR WILL ADDRESS UNITED NATIONS

April 9, 2008

As concerned and peace-loving Canadians, we are shocked at the announcement that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita will address the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Switzerland this week regarding the present human rights situation in the Philippines.

Ermita, as head of the Presidential Anti-Terrorism Task Force and as Chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Council, is one of the chief architects of the bloody military counter-insurgency campaign that has resulted in more than 889 documented cases of extra-judicial killings, 200 cases of enforced disappearances and the displacement of over one million people.

Under the guise of fighting 'terrorism', the Arroyo administration's Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch) counter-insurgency program has wreaked havoc on the lives of ordinary Filipinos.  In its desperate attempt to crush the revolutionary people's movement struggling for genuine national and social liberation, the Arroyo regime has callously embroiled almost the entire nation in its fascist campaign.  President Arroyo’s government has been blamed for this sordid human rights record by no less than the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston, as well as by Amnesty International.
 
Mr. Ermita has no credibility to speak before the U.N. about human rights while the killings and human rights violations continue unabated in the country.  Just last week, another labour leader, Gerry Cristobal was tragically assassinated after two previous attempts on his life.  In fact, here in Canada, Dr. Constancio Claver, a leader of a progressive political party called Bayan Muna (People First) has applied for refugee status after surviving an assassination attempt two years ago by government agents that claimed the life of his wife.

As Canadian citizens, we decry the use of our taxpayers’ money to support the fascist government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

We demand that Canadian bilateral aid to the Philippines should instead be directed to organizations that are legitimately working for genuine human rights.  We vow to continue to strengthen genuine stronger people-to-people solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle for a just and lasting peace.  We call on all Canadians to educate themselves about the root causes of the human rights violations in the Philippines and work concretely in solidarity campaigns to expose Canada’s complicity in these human rights violations.

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