KMP president Antonio Flores, who is now attending the 27th United Nations (UN) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Adoptions in Geneva, noted in a statement that “the list of farmers and peasant leaders being killed is never- ending. The families of the victims of extrajudicial killings are demanding justice.”
“With President Duterte’s rising tyrannical rule, the killings and human rights violations are expected to escalate further,” said Flores.
UPR is a unique process which involves a review of human rights records of members of the UN.
Flores said the “Duterte government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have escalated its allout war against Filipinos. Most of the victims of state-sponsored human rights violations are farmers especially with the incessant militarization of peasant and indigenous people communities across the Philippines.”
Flores noted that from July 2016 to August 2017, 81 farmers have already been killed while 213 were victims of frustrated extra judicial killings. This, he said, is on top of 3,758 cases of destruction of properties, 48,304 cases of intimidation, threat and harassment and 357,754 cases of indiscriminate firing.
“Close to half a million people were forced to evacuate due to heavy military operations and indiscriminate aerial bombings especially in the provinces of Cagayan Valley, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Maguindanao and other parts of Mindanao,” he said.
“Justice remains elusive for victims of political and extra-judicial killings. No perpetrator has been arrested and punished for the vicious crimes. In the face of this continuing war against Filipinos launched no less by President Duterte, farmers are determined to continue asserting their democratic and human rights,” the KMP leader said.
Flores noted that a total of 103 states have forwarded at least 257 recommendations to the Philippine government during the 27th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, adding that least 34 states raised concerns on the continuing extrajudicial killings in the country. They reminded the Philippine government to ensure prosecution and accountability of perpetrators.
“Eight States called for an end to extrajudicial killings in line with the Duterte administration’s campaign against crime and drugs,” he also noted.
Flores is part of the Philippine UPR Watch, a 13-member delegation of rights defenders and sectoral representatives from peoples’ organizations, churches and institutions.
