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21 September 2011

Breaking Impunity will end the Legacy of Martial LawAFAD Statement on the 39th Anniversary of Martial law

Today, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) joins the whole nationin commemorating of the 39th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

Our manner of commemorating the event is the reiteration of our call to Pres. Benigno SimeonNoynoy Aquino III to learn from the lessons of our history by making human rights its toppriority and breaking impunity.

Thirty-nine years since President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Lawthrough Proclamation No. 1081 which suspended the civil rights and liberties of the Filipinopeople by imposing military authority in the country. The chilling effects of these dark pages ofour history are still felt until today.

Human rights are continuously being violated. What makes it more disturbing is that violationspersist with complete impunity. The Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND)has documented 2,160 victims of enforced disappearance since martial law. Ten cases havebeen reported under the present Aquino administration with the military involvement.Unfortunately until now not a single perpetrator has been punished.

The scenarios of warrantless arrests, arbitrary detentions and illegal searches which were

common practices during Martial Law are still in effect until today. While the military claims thatit already adopted a new security policy called the Oplan Bayanihan, said to be a paradigm shiftfrom the combat-focused approach to a human security or people-centered approach, theprimacy of military solution is still deeply embedded in the whole institution. It allows securityforces to ignore the fundamental rules of law and due process in the conduct of militaryoperations. The Oplan Bayanihan is just another name of Oplan Bantay Laya (OperationFreedom Watch), the counter-insurgency program of the previous administration which led themilitary to deliberately target and systematically hunt down leaders of leftist organizations,resulting in hundreds of cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in thecountry.

The disappearance case of a teenager from the Dumagat tribe of the Burdeous Municipality in

Quezon province, who was abducted on 23 August 2011 by six armed men pretending to bemembers of New Peoples Army but later revealed to be members of the 202nd Infantry Brigadeof the Armed forces of the Philippines and Civilian Volunteers Organization is but one of therecent examples of red hunting. The teenager was held in custody against his will for almost twoweeks in the military camp where he was repeatedly interrogated and intimidated. He was laterreleased when his family, with the help of Franciscan missionaries, sought the help of the publicto search for him. The military denied abducting the teenager and claimed that he merelyavailed himself of the governments social integration program for rebel returnees.

Asian Federation Against Involuntary DisappearancesRms. 310-311 Philippine Social Science Center BuildingCommonwealth Avenue, Diliman, 1103 Quezon City PhilippinesTelefax: 00-632-4546759 Mobile 00-63-9177924058Email afad@surfshop.net.ph website www.afad-online.org

8/4/2019 AFAD Statement Martial Law Anniversary

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If indeed, the military believes that winning peace could be achieved through the continuingattack against any individuals or groups perceived to be supporters or members of the insurgentgroups through political harassment, vilification campaign and criminalization of political offense,

it is doomed to repeat the mistakes of history.

It is a historical truth that when people are suppressed, they learn to fight back. This reality waswhat ignited the people to struggle against the dictator which inevitably paved the road toEDSA, including the martyrdom of the late Sen. Benigno Ninoy Aquino and assumption topower of the late Pres. Corazon C. Aquino.

PNoy should keep his name as a symbol of democracy. As the new commander-in-chief, he isduty bound to lead his Armed Forces in performing its inherent obligation as the protector of thepeople. He has in his hands the opportunity to learn from the difficult lessons of the dark yearsof martial rule by guaranteeing human rights protection and accountability.

When he said during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that reconciliation can only beachieved when justice is rendered, this should not mean buying to the idea of giving militaryhonor to the late dictator and promising the compensation for victims of Martial Law. TheMarcoses should continue to be held responsible for their crimes against the Filipino people andall others who followed the sinister means to keep themselves in power.

Today, we pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in fighting against the dictator in orderfor freedom and democracy to live. We will keep their memory alive in our hearts and minds aswe continue the struggle for truth, justice, and redress with the resounding voice of commitment,chanting: Nunca Mas! (Never Again!)

Signed and authenticated by:

MUGIYANTO MARY AILEEN BACALSOChairperson Secretary-General