Pompee will try luck again

A MAN of character and passion of service to others will again try his luck in the 2022 election.

Though faced with Goliaths or seasoned politicians, this David of Cagayan de Oro, armed with a sling of competence and leadership and is clad in the iron of persistence and desire, will move forward unwavering in faith and unhesitant of the journey ahead for a reformed Cagayan de Oro City.

Misamis Oriental Gov. Bambi Emano sees his potential and in a gathering with media, once said he is willing to give way to Pompee La Viña. He said, “If that position is vacant daghan paman gud kaayo. Mayor sa Tagoloan, pwedi ko mobalik sa Congress, pwedi ko mag–mayor, pwedi gani ko mag-vice governor ’no. Daghan pa man kaayo posisyon, dili mana kay mao lang ang available nga position but Pompee will be the priority.”

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and even Mayor Sara Duterte themselves lifted his (Pompee) hands to show their endorsement before the people of Cagayan de Oro.

Hailed and raised by a mother who is also a political icon herself, former councilor Inday La Viña. She is also known for her bold stand for change. No wonder he, too, shares his mother’s vision of making the City of Golden Friendship a better place for everyone.

He has been true to his campaign jingle, “Dili ta pasagdan ug permi masaligan.” Every Cagayanon is dreaming of change and change is what Pompee La Viña will bring to Cagayan de Oro. “Gunit-gunit maghiusa tang tanan para sa bag-ong Cagayan.” –Joy Duero Apolinario, Malaybalay, Bukidnon

Crackdown on CSOs

THE Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen (AMP) expresses its deep concern about recent attacks by the Philippine government and its security forces against civil society organizations in the country, including long-standing partners of its network.

On Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, several offices of civil society organizations in Bacolod City and Escalante City, Negros Occidental were raided, and 57 persons arrested, including 12 minors, who were then accused of being members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA). While 44 persons, including the minors, were subsequently released for lack of probable cause, 13 leaders and organizers of the National Federation of Sugar Workers, media group Altermidya, partylist Bayan Muna, labor union Kilusang Mayo Uno, peasant organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, human rights organization Karapatan, and the cultural groups Teatro Obrero and Teatro Kaling remain detained or on bail on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Eyewitnesses however maintain that the evidence was planted by police officers conducting the raid.

On Oct. 21-22, the Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen together with the Sri Lanka Advocacy Network and the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung held a conference on Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Potsdam, Germany. One of the speakers was Zara Alvarez, a known human rights defender and advocacy and campaign officer of the Negros Health Integrated Program for Community Development (NIHIPCD). Upon her return to the Philippines, the office of her organization was among those being raided by the Philippine security forces in Bacolod City. Zara Alvarez has been openly vilified as alleged member of the NPA. She has received death threats and experienced surveillance.

And the vilification goes on: In a briefing in the House of Representatives the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of National Defense (DND) presented 18 organizations as alleged front organization of the NPA, among them the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the Farmers Development Center (FARDEC), the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan (Kaduami), as well as the Mindanao Interfaith Service Foundation Inc. (MISFI), which the AMP has partnered with since its founding in 2007.These organizations assist victims of human rights violations in their quest for justice, and work with marginalized groups such as farmers in their peaceful struggle for land and sustainable development. A work badly needed due to lack of government support.

Threats and false accusations against human rights defenders have a long history in the Philippines. Open defamations have often been followed not only by threats, but also by harassments, arrests and even killings. However, the number and ferocity of attacks against human rights defenders has increased dramatically since the collapse of the peace process between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in late 2017. According to the recent Human Rights Report of the AMP, 200 human rights defenders and 14 journalists have been killed nationwide between July 2016 and August 2019.

On Nov. 22, 2018, President Duterte had issued Memorandum Order 32 instructing the ministries for Defense and Interior to immediately increase the deployment of security forces in Negros to escalate the campaign against terrorist forces. The authorities were also told to step up their secret service operations against individuals and organizations suspected of terrorism. Designated to fight a “state of lawlessness” in Negros, Samar and Bicol, Memorandum Order 32 and the whole nation approach of Executive Order 70 instead unleashed a crackdown against civil society organizations and individuals.

The Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen condemns the continuing attacks against human rights defenders and civil society organizations as a clear attempt to silence any criticism against the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The network therefore calls upon the Philippine government to:

• Take all necessary steps to protect human rights defenders from harassment, violence, and killings and protect their freedom of association in accordance with Article III, Section 8 of the Philippine Constitution;

• Direct the Philippine security forces and all government agencies to refrain from making statements that stigmatize human rights defenders, especially statements that suggest that defenders are members of the New People’s Army;

• Order the Philippine Armed Forces to desist from filing fabricated charges against human rights defenders;

We also call on the European Union to:

Publicly declare its support for all human rights and development organizations in the Philippines, especially those on which it has received accusations including individual human right defenders. –Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen