In the Philippines, if someone kills somebody, he can be charged with the crime of murder. If the criminal is smart and just makes his victim disappear from the face of the earth, he cannot be charged with any crime because there is no body to prove murder.
That’s why nobody has been charged for the disappearance of Jonas Burgos, activist –farmer and son of press freedom crusader Jose Burgos, Jr, since he was abducted by what appeared to be members of the military April 28, 2007. The same is true with the case of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan who were picked up by members of the military from their boarding house while they were doing field work on June 26, 2006.
In the case of the six workers of Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP) workers abducted on October 14, 2000 by members of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and remain disappeared up to this day, Corporal Rodrigo Billones has been convicted but of kidnapping and serious illegal detention. Despite strong evidence, he was not charged with enforced disappearance due to the absence of an anti-enforced disappearance law.
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances and Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance, two organizations working for an end to this abominable practice has documented some 2,000 cases of enforced and involuntary disappearances and the number continues to increase.
It is a source of frustration for human rights advocates that in a civilized world, the process of putting an end to such an uncivilized practice moves so slowly. That’s why they applaud the imminent entry into force of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance made possible by the ratification by Iraq last week of the treaty, which will come into force on 23 December 2010.
Mary Aileen D. Bacalso, AFAD secretary general, said “the forthcoming entry into force of the Convention is a symbolic tribute to all the desaparecidos of the world who were plucked from the bosom of their families and continue to be deprived of their most basic right to life, liberty and many other basic human rights.”
Iraq being the 20th signatory bears significance because of its traumatic experience in its struggle to regain democracy. It has outstanding cases of disappearances way back during the regime of Saddam Hussein.
AFAD and FIND had hoped for the Philippines to get that distinction. They made the appeal to President Aquino during their meeting with him last October.
A source who was present in the meeting said he sensed the sincerity of the President about the issue of human rights but it was apparent that he did not have a good grasp of the issue. He promised, though, to study the international treaty and mentioned the possibility of codifying the crime of enforced disappearance through the enactment of an anti-enforced disappearance law.
“The UN Convention For the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is a concrete legal measure which, when put in place, can be a powerful tool to help strengthen governments’ capacities to eradicate disappearances, punish the perpetrators and provide truth, justice, redress, reparation and historical memory to victims and their families,” Bacalso said.
Lawyer Harry Roque said since the Philippines has not signed and ratified the treaty, Filipino citizens cannot yet avail of its protection.
It’s probably benign neglect that the Philippine government under the Aquino administration has not yet signed and ratified the treaty. Someone should remind the President of it.
PNoy, please sign already the The UN Convention For the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Don’t have it reviewed by your mediocre team, baka iba ang ireport nila sa iyo.
Sad that these crimes is and still happening here in our country. I just hope PNoy would sign the treaty ASAP, for the sake of those who’re still missing and to hopefully prevent from it happening again in the future. But then, who’s gonna implement that law here… the police, the military? Oh boy!
He wasted the opportunity to prove to the world we mean it when we say “change”. In this case, it’s a classic dragging of the foot once again. Remember, “You wait and somebody else will eat your lunch”.
Of all countries, Iraq?
Good Governance ang pangako! This is one way of showing the world that our government do not support forced disappearance. Bagal na nga ng hustisya alangan naman ignore pa ito? Pnoy should NOT ignore this.
We missed the chance.
It was an honor that would not have cost us anything except political will and efficient governance.
Tinatamad ako sa gobyerno ni Pnoy. 🙂
Naku ha…Igan Chi, 9-years nga tayong nagtiis kay Gloria e saka pa tayo susurender…no retreat, no surrender…tuloy ang ligaya.
Sige ka, ang mainis e talo…kaya di natin sila tatantanan till magbago sila ng kanilang ugali-asal!
That’s the reason why professional killers burn the body or chop it to pieces. In PH, it doesn’t matter how the body is disposed. Marami diyan na VIP killers na nakakalaya. Hiring greedy high profiled lawyers like the Fortuns is also one way of escaping prosecution. Maraming magagawa sa PH basta may pera ka.
Ka Balweg, I’m waiting for PNoy to sign this UN convention to benefit the desaparecidos, huwag lang niya na ibandying-bandying. And then I’m waiting for my dear Senator Sonny to see his office and continue performing from there the tasks assigned to him by the more than 11 million pinoys.
But wait… the #2 question of Mike, sino nga ba ang mag-implement ng aksyon in case pirmahan ni Pnoy ito? Ang police at militar…?!
Agree Igan Chi, if si PeNOY e di magpakatotoo sa kanyang winika na tayo ang kanyang Bosing at makinig sa mga bulong-brigage from different camps…klazmayts, inc.; kamag-anak, inc.; yellow wannabees; civil socialites; lipat-bakod tradpols at sino pa? Walang mangyayari sa Pinas…same same lang sila ni Madam Washing machine.
to #2 and #9 : But wait… sino nga ba ang mag-implement ng aksyon in case pirmahan ni Pnoy ito? Ang police at militar…?!
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Ibibigay ni Noynoy kay Usec Puno to coordinate and oversee the PNP and AFP. May experience na riyan si Best-Friend-Puno.
Susmaryosep, tingog boss!
ang mas importante pumirma siya,tapos ang isang problema,despues,problemahin naman natin ang implimentacion.
One at a time, correct. Basta pirmahan na nya, now na!
I’m an american college student studying Philippine Cultures. I’m very interested by this blog. This post in particular moves me to ask why it is that the Philippine government is abducting these people. That is so destructive to human rights, especially given what Filipinos went through with Spain. Can anyone help me understand the current conflict between the people and the Philippine government?
Thank you,
P.
ano ang mangyayari sa pirma eh ang mga batas nga natin ang may problema. kapag ikaw ay biniyabit ng pulis at ginawang abo malabo, malabo na ang katarungan sa yo ika nga ty ka na lang. sino ba ang kadalasan na nag-uutos na walain ka na o katayin o itumba, iyon iyong mga nasa itaas kaya yung nasa itaas din ang magbibgay ng protection sa assasin. kanino ka magrereklamo di ba sa itaas (Mafia) din. ang kasong kriminal ang degree of proof ay proof beyond reasonable doubt suntok sa buan kapag walang corpus delicti ang administrative naman substatial evidence lang kaya kung sino ang gusto manalo nasa gagawa ng desisyon.
Agree ako sa ‘yo, bayong. Kaso lang iba ang usapan pag nasa international stage ka. Hindi lang naman ikaw ang makikinabang sa bagong protocol. Yung 19 na bansa pwede nang magsimula kung agad napirmahan yan. Ayun Iraq pa ang bida.
Si Gloria ayaw pirmahan yan dahil siya ang babalikan.
Ano’ng ikinatatakot ni Noynoy? May balak ba siyang maging Gloria?
Check this out:
http://www.edcellagman.com.ph/speeches/uncategorized/43-discussion-guide-on-the-proposed-anti-enforced-or-involuntary-disappearance-act-of-2007.html
Palihis lang ng konti.
May bobong pulis din pala sa tate?! “Police spend all day investigating murder scene that was really a movie set.” 😛
At least na realize nila bandang huli na fake pala ang crime scene. Pero kung nangyari yan sa atin dito sa Pinas, kahit siguro na marealize ng pulis natin na fake ang crime scene pipilitin pa rin nilang palabasin na tunay wag lang mapahiya. Ang masaklap pa eh baka hanapan pa ng fall guy. 😛
Maraming nawawala at biktima ng salvage dito sa atin dahil sa mga pulis patola na baril ang ginagamit imbes na kukote.
http://m.gizmodo.com/5704184/police-spend-all-day-investigating-murder-scene-that-was-really-a-movie-set
busy si upaw sa kanyang lovelife…
#15:
It’s better to abduct people than being abducted by aliens from outer space.
Abduction, human rights violation, murder, assassination happen everywhere in all parts of the world. But unlike America who has a number of Presidents assassinated, the Philippines never has one. Unlike America who had several school killings, the Philippines so far has none of those. Unlike other countries that have suicide bombers, such does not happen in the Philippines even to the most radical Muslim bandits.
Communists fight for ideology. They don’t care who the President and the government is. They want to take over the country by force and violence. The AFP and government have the responsibility to neutralize this. Lucky for these Communists for they are now represented in the government with many of their leaders now are politicians running under party-list groups. The Pork Barrel these politicians get are mostly used to finance these Communists and other leftist groups. If the Communists can abduct civilians sympathetic to the government and members of the police and military, why can’t the government? If the Communists can harass, threaten, extort from businessmen and politicians, why can’t the government go after them?
I can not blame Lacson for his actions, fearing to come out of hiding. For nine years, the midget filled the judiciary with her “appointees”, the SC not exempt. Lacson will not get a fair trial with all these hoodlums in the judiciary. Not even Pnoy can save him. I also can not blame de Lima for inheriting the Lacson case. Trabaho lang ang ginagawa niya. If de Lima takes off the arrest warrant, the camp of Corbito-Dacer will nail her. Walang itulak kabigin. Maybe it is best to hide for now until the truth unravels naturally or the witnesses die. Matagal tagal na proseso ito. Baka mauna pang mamatay si Lacson sa katatago. Mababangis talaga ang kamandag ni midget at ng baboy niyang asawa. Hindi nila talaga tatantanan si Lacon. Kung ako si Lacson, unti unti kong pasasabugin ang mga alam ko tungkol kay midget at ng kanyang asawang baboy.
Baka naman conspiracy and pag-kamatay nila Dacer at Corbito. Sino ba talaga ang may motibong papatay sa dalawang ito? Yun ang master mind. Granting Lacson ordered the killings, ito ay galing pa sa nakakataas.
And what kung si Dacer at Corbito ay parehong buhay na pakuyakuyakoy lang sa Bahamas. Di ba sabi nila yung mga butong nakuha sa crime scene eh buto daw ng baka?
PSB, I think this should be in the other thread.
Para naman di masayang ang effort diyan sa Dacer-Corbito na kapwa rin missing persons a.k.a. “disaparecidos”, bakit hindi pinapatulan ng AFAD o ng FIND yang kasong iyan?
Dahil ba ang kanilang tinututukan ay iyong mga nawawalang tao na malakas ang posibilidad na gobyerno ang kumuha? Bakit sila Dacer, diba gobyerno ni Erap, kasama na ang kanyang PNP Chief Lacson, ang pangunahing suspek dito?
Bakit hindi yata naniniwala itong mga maiingay na grupong ito na totoong may kinalaman nga sila Erap at Ping sa pagkawala nila Dacer? Dahil duda rin silang nawawala nga talaga ang dalawa? Meron ba silang alam na hindi natin alam?
Isip-isip!
Mahirap mag-isip kung walang isip. These players are no ordinary players. Gaya ng sinabi ko, bakit natin aasahan na may sagot diyan eh kung ang pagpatay kay Ninoy di pa matukoy ang tunay na utak? Ang sigurado lang ay mga Kastila ang pumatay kay Rizal. Ang sigurado lang ay si Lapu-Lapu ang pumatay kay Mactan. Kahit ang pagkamatay ni Bruce Lee di pa alam kung paano.
Re #24. Remember, former Justice Undersecretary Blancaflor tried to spin it as part of media killings. Hindi pumatol and NUJP or anybody in media. Dacer was PR (public or press relations man), not a journalist.
Depressing to see a mother as Mrs Burgos, knowing her son is not coming back. Karma to those responsible; what goes around comes around.
Lagareng Hapon ang tawag sa kamukha ng gawain ni Dacer. Publicist siya ni Erap, may bayad, pero siya rin ang nagpi-feed sa grupo ni FVR/Almonte ng mga detalye nung BW Resources stocks scam. May bayad din yon, ginamit pa sa impeachment. Ga-maletang ebidensiya raw iyong laging dala-dala ni Dacer, sabi ng anak niya at ni Glenn Dumlao.
Kaya nung ayaw nang bayaran ni FVR yung upa niya sa Manila Hotel kaya na-sipa ang opisina niya doon, alam nila Almonte na pupunta ito kay Erap para magsumbong naman sa kabila. Nung araw na kinidnap si Dacer, naka-unipormeng pulis pa ang dumampot. Wow ha, ang tatanga talaga! [kung totoong pulis nga:)] Tirik ang araw, sa publikong lugar, mga markadong mobile ang ginamit para sa salvage ng isang taong may meeting daw kay FVR. Super bobong mga pulis o scripted/frame up?
Sino’ng may malaking rason para burahin sa ibabaw ng lupa si Dacer, si Lacson ba? Wala yata sa istorya.