Quit scapegoating, Esperon

IT has come to our attention that National Security Adviser Hemogenes Esperon Jr. has singled out Karapatan as a “legal front” of the Communist Party of the Philippines. This is not the first time that a government official has done so, following the President’s own statement last July 25, 2019 that Karapatan “deserves to be hit.” We have repeatedly expressed the seriousness and the dangers of red-tagging, particularly for human rights workers on the ground. Under this government, 11 human rights workers under Karapatan have already been killed. We are not some legal front, but an alliance of human rights organizations and advocates that have relentlessly continued to expose the crimes and violations of state forces across all administrations.

Karapatan firmly suggests that the government quit scapegoating, and start facing the consequences of its anti-people policies. State forces remain the foremost violators of human rights because of the militarist campaigns that this government has spearheaded and graciously funded. We definitely did not commission the deployment of soldiers in peasant communities which has led to widespread terror, nor did we direct police operations which have killed thousands. That is on you and your ilk, Mr. Esperon.

We likewise roll our eyes at this new accusation that we are on the side of “drug-driven crimes.” This is another twisted machination to demonize human rights defenders. We advise Mr. Esperon to read through all our publications, and there he will find recommendations on how human rights organizations understand, and seek to resolve the illegal drug trade problem. Militarist policies have not been effective in eliminating, not even reducing the trade of illegal drugs. What organizations like Karapatan do is to raise and expose the experiences of those mostly affected by this murderous policy. We are not on the side of drug-driven crimes, but of poor Filipino families who are at the vicious end of ineffective, militarist campaigns.

The violations that we have raised and the accountability we seek from government agencies are justified and backed with the testimony of families and victims. We do not claim that human rights is our exclusive domain, which is why we enjoin and work with communities, sectors, victims of human rights violations, and other groups and individuals to stand for human rights.

Again, we remind National Security Adviser Esperon, just as we have done with AFP’s Parlade, that government is the foremost duty-bearer in the promotion, protection and actualization of human rights. This is why government agencies and state forces are being held accountable for many violations. –Cristina Palabay, secretary general, Karapatan

Wage hike, not crumbs

WE urge Congress to prioritize passing substantial salary increases for teachers and other government employees. Teachers and other government employees demand a decent, just and substantial salary increase not crumbs and loose change.

Teachers and other government employees have long been struggling for  substantial salary increases especially after the onslaught of the Train law that hiked the prices of basic goods and services and after the Duterte administration was able to swiftly double the salaries of military and uniformed personnel.

At the State of the Nation Address of President Duterte, he once again promised a salary increase for all government employees especially for teachers and nurses but teachers and government employees were quickly dismayed when he said it will only be “a little bit bigger” than the last SSL. Senate Bill 200 filed by Sen. Bong Go only provided a P588 increase for Salary Grade 1 and a  P591 increase for Teacher 1.

EO 201 only gave rank and file employees loose change as salary increase while giving big percentages of increase to higher government officials. If the Duterte administration follows the trend in EO 201, teachers and other government employees cannot expect a substantial salary increase unlike their counterparts in the military and uniformed personnel.

Too many times, President Duterte promised teachers that he will increase their salaries after increasing the salaries of uniformed personnel. Teachers are simply asking him to fulfil the many promises he made. Our teachers are simply asking that they be given substantial salaries that can provide them and their families decent lives. With the increasing workload of our teachers and the increasing cost of living, it is only just that they also be prioritized by the state.

We urge the House and Senate leadership to prioritize passing House Bill 219 increasing the salaries of teachers and other government employees, P30,000 for teacher 1 and P16,000 for salary grade 1. We also urge the Department of Budget and Management to include the salary increase in the budget proposal for 2020 and finally, we urge President Duterte to prioritize the budget for social services like education, health and housing. –France Castro, representative, ACT Teachers