By CONG B. CORRALES
Associate Editor
PERSONS with disability who were part of the so-called “First Quarter Storm” would be leading an indignation fast to dramatize their call to end impunity in the country in time for the 65th commemoration of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights today.
Leading the indignation fasting today are Hugo “Jerry” Orcullo, Melencio Cabaraban, and Armando Naul.
Orcullo, a cancer survivor lost his voice but is president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club; Cabaraban now visually impaired, used to be an urban poor community organizer while Naul, founder of Solidarity of Transport organizations in Region 10 (Starex), is suffering from crippling diabetes. The three were part of the First Quarter Storm.
“We are old and ill but we will never be tired in fighting against impunity,” stated Orcullo who is also chair of Samahan ng mga Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto-Northern Mindanao. “We are doing this to call for an end to the culture of impunity in the country. We call on the Aquino government to free all political detainees.”
At the provincial jail, political detainee Alfredo “Ka Paris” Mapano said he and six other political detainees will be joining the fasting today.
“Mosabay kami diri. Mag-fast kami from 6 am to 6 pm,” Mapano said.
Asked for his message to President Aquino, Mapano replied that he has gone tired of asking for general amnesty.
“Nahurot na ko’g hangyo ini nga gobyerno. Maghulat na lang mi sa sunod nga presidente. Lain man gud nga balik-balikon ang atong hangyo kung dili gapaminawon,” said Mapano.
Today also marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of two international covenants on human rights–International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966. Today is also the 82nd birthday of former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr who was a victim of political repression during the martial law years.
“Ipadayon nato ang pagpanalipod sa tawhanong katungod uban sa panawagan sa mga human rights sa mga lumad ug ubang gilupigang sector sa atong nasud,” Pimentel’s text message to this paper reads.
Pimentel also pointed that Filipinos today should not also forget “our brother Muslims because without peace, we cannot have genuine development.”
Orcullo said the least the Aquino government could do in his last days as President is to act swiftly to render justice to all victims of media and lumad killings and other extrajudicial killings.
“The government and its elite-dominated politics remain moribund and once again, the poor electorates are given empty promises and are being bribed with money and material gifts and treated to an electoral circus that allows the corrupt among us to secure power and governance to perpetuate their selfish designs,” Orcullo added.
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