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VOLUME XXXIV No . 28 Enero 22-28 , 2018 P6.00
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Marcos Martial Law rights victims to get reparation on or before May
By MARYA SALAMAT
MANILA – Rey Ordiz was 21 years old when the late President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law . A student at the time , he was active in organizing the youth-students and workers sector in Pasay , an activity he took upon himself together with other activists after he learned of the sorry plight of workers in a US Tobacco company in their area .
Now he is 68 years old . He is one of the members of SELDA ( Samahan ng Exdetainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto ). Even in their senior years , their struggle is not over . Along with other former youth activists , now also in their senior years , they trooped last Wednesday January 17 to the office of the Human Rights Victims ’ Claims Board for a meeting with its chairperson , Lina Sarmiento .
Their goal : follow-up and make sure that before its term of office ends on May 2018 , it should have satisfactorily completed the processing of all claims for reparation by the Martial Law victims .
Trinidad Herrera- Repuno , president of SELDA , said the victims of Martial Law under Marcos are united in seeking justice and indemnification . But this early , she said , they are against any possible extension again of the term of this claims board .
With more than 30 SELDA members including Ordiz , Repuno met with Sarmiento , who promised to finish indeed all the required processing of claims for reparation of all “ qualified martial law victims ” under Marcos . A struggle for reparation Sarmiento said their office also wanted to swiftly complete
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Peasant killings on the rise , 109 murdered
“ Majority of the killings happened during Martial Law in Mindanao and are linked to agrarian cases and land disputes .”
By RUTH LUMIBAO
MANILA — Of 126 politicallymotivated killings recorded by human rights group Karapatan or the Alliance for the Advancement of People ’ s Rights ( Karapatan ) from July 2016 to December 31 , 2017 , 109 are from the peasant sector .
Of the 109 farmers , majority are from Mindanao , who were active in local peasant organizations affiliated with the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas ( KMP ), and tagged as members or supporters of the New People ’ s Army ( NPA ). Killings are carried out by masked assassins riding motorcycles , suspected to be military elements and intelligence agents of Philippine Army Battalions deployed in the provinces where the killings took place .
“ Majority of the killings happened during Martial Law in Mindanao and are linked to agrarian cases and land disputes . Those killed were defending their farms and ancestral lands from landgrabbers , large-scale mining companies , big business and plantations . Those killed were resisting the wanton militarization and human rights violations in rural areas ,” the KMP Secretary General Antonio Flores said .
“ These killings are state-sanctioned and carried out under the government ’ s Oplan Kapayapaan counterinsurgency program ,” he added .
Aside from killings , cases of illegal arrests and detention are also increasing .
As early as January 9 , three farmers in Mindanao were forcibly taken by state agents . As reported by Karapatan , Jarold Adiaton and Jane Solis , residents of Barangay Balite , Magpet , North Cotabato and members of the Balite Farmers Association ( BFA ), were abducted by composite elements of the 15th and 39th Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army ( IBPA ) and
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Along with other former youth activists , now also in their senior years , SELDA members trooped last Wednesday , January 17 , to the office of the Human Rights Victims ’ Claims Board for a meeting with its chairperson , Lina Sarmiento .
‘ There is no legal basis to extend martial law in Mindanao ’ – petitioners
“ To imply that martial law with its extraordinary powers is a benign solution to our problems is a misrepresentation that has a conditioning effect on our people to accept authoritarianism until it ’ s too late to stop , and this should not be allowed to happen .”
By ANNE MARXZE D . UMIL
MANILA — There is no legal and factual basis to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year . This is the assertion of the four petitioners against a yearlong extension of martial law in Mindanao during the first day of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court ( SC ) on Tuesday , Jan . 16 .
Four petitions were filed in the SC questioning the constitutionality of the second extension of martial law until Dec . 31 , 2018 .
Among the petitioners were Albay Rep . Edcel Lagman , former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Rosales , former Bayan Muna Rep . Neri Colmenares and lawyer Christian Monsod , who was a member of Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution .
President Duterte declared martial law in the whole island of Mindanao on May 24 , 2017 for 60 days only . It was then
extended up to October of the same year . |
that the remaining few members of the group have no capacity to |
The |
SC |
upheld |
the |
continue rebellion . |
constitutionality of the declaration |
Lagman said that based |
of martial law in its decision on the Philippine Constitution , |
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in July 2017 with only Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen voting to nullify the martial law declaration .
In December last year , both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved Duterte ’ s request to once more extend martial law in Mindanao until Dec . 31 , 2018 .
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an extension of martial law could only be imposed if an “ invasion or rebellion still persists and public safety requires it .” After the war ended last year , Lagman said , the state of rebellion no longer existed .
Colmenares meanwhile said the extension of martial law and suspension of the writ
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Several |
groups |
oppose |
the |
of habeas corpus do not comply |
extension and also the hasty approval of Duterte ’ s request without extensive deliberations . |
with the Constitutional grounds of existence of actual rebellion and need for public safety . |
‘ No actual war ’ |
“ Public |
safety |
your |
The |
counsels |
and |
honor is a requisite in the |
petitioners themselves reiterated |
context of the exercise of martial |
in their opening statements that |
law |
powers , |
arising |
when |
there is no need for martial law in |
the operations of the civilian |
Mindanao in the absence of actual |
government |
are |
substantially |
war . |
impaired or courts have difficulty |
In his letter to Congress requesting for the extension of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao , Duterte said martial law should be extended to completely eradicate terrorist groups in the island including the National People ’ s Army ( NPA ). Lagman said that in October last year , President Duterte declared |
in functioning or the delivery of public service is mainly compromised that government has to resort to the extraordinary imposition of martial law ,” he said .
Colmenares also said that the government has been consistently targeting to crush the NPA for decades as well as other armed groups such as the
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the defeat of extremist group
Abu Sayaff even without the
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Maute . The president declared |
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