Karapatan: Duterte's 1st year in office tarnished by rights abuses, impunity, martial law

A human rights group on Friday scored President Rodrigo Duterte's first anniversary in office, saying the past year has been marked by  human rights violations and impunity that was even aggravated by the imposition of martial law in Mindanao.

Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said the Duterte administration's policies have been "veering towards a rightist direction — a path ladened with militarist and repressive policies."

“It is unfortunate how the promises that became the basis for optimism at the start of Duterte’s term have now been replaced by excuses and lies by the police and military to justify blatant violations of people's rights," Palabay said in a press statement.

Palabay said human rights violations continued to pile up as Duterte entered his full year in office as the country's chief executive.

"Duterte’s imposition of martial law, coupled with the military's all-out war, the implementation of the US-directed and anti-people counter-insurgency program Oplan Kapayapaan, and the anti-poor war on drugs, gave full blanket authority to State forces to brazenly commit rights abuses with obscene impunity," she said.

Palabay, for instance, cited the abduction of several peasant leaders from the Alliance of Farmers Association in Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya on June 25, who were brought to the Army base of the 3rd Infantry Battalion.

On June 26, several farmers were allegedly harassed and illegally arrested by soldiers in Nueva Vizcaya and Compostella Valley, respectively.

Palabay also mentioned the five-hour detention of leaders from Karapatan and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in Davao City on the basis that they were "suspicious-looking."

Since martial law was proclaimed by Duterte on May 23, Palabay said 14 peasant activists in Mindanao have been either illegally arrested or detained, while at least 260 Moro youth were brought to police stations for questioning.

"Clearly, Proclamation 216 is being used for counter-insurgency purposes, affecting civilians, including activists, who the military arbitrarily tags as 'enemies of the State,'" she said.

Palabay urged Duterte to immediately lift the martial law declaration, continue the peace talks with the communist rebels, and abide by his promise to release all political prisoners.

"We continue to challenge this administration to continue the peace talks and stand by his earlier promises to release all political prisoners and abide by agreements on human rights and international humanitarian law," Palabay said. — MDM, GMA News