DAVAO City –– A global activist group gathered in a conference on peoples’ rights said they look forward to President Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) today.
The International Conference for Peoples’ Rights in the Philippines (IPCRP) said with Duterte’s high trust ratings, the Filipinos must see to it that his SONA will present concrete programs for the people.
Bishop Felixberto Calang, InPeace Mindanao chairperson and spokesperson of the ICPRP, said the assertion of peoples’ rights should take center stage in Duterte’s theme of change.
“He won the people’s mandate based on his promise of change. We want nothing less than the protection of the peoples’ rights,” said Calang.
The bishop further explained that the peoples’ rights includes “not just human rights, but political, economic, social and cultural rights.”
“Duterte and his progressive members in cabinet has made pronouncements of ending labor contractualization, ending large-scale mining plunder. We hope there would be positive steps to empower the people,” Calang added.
Calang said the conference is a show of solidarity of global activists to the struggles of the Filipino people. Some 250 delegates from 20 countries immersed in 11 Lumad and farmer communities all over Mindanao and the Philippines. Delegates said they are impressed by Lumad schools continuing to serve children amidst threats from the paramilitary and soldiers.
“The delegates have seen how communities are resilient, how they turn their conditions into opportunities to fight. Our optimism is also raised with your solidarity,” he said.
The conference also hopes the peace talks with the National Democratic Front will push forward in Duterte’s agenda for change.
“We hope Duterte makes good with his promise to pursue the peace tract to address the root causes of the missing peace and stop the impunity against the people,” said Calang.
He further said Duterte can push for the release of the political prisoners as goodwill in the talks.
The international rights group has now joined the global initiative called JustPeacePH to broaden the movement for peace based on justice. (karapatan-smr)
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