Karapatan hits Palace’s refusal to lift martial law in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — Rights group Karapatan slammed Malacañang’s rejection of calls for the lifting of the year-long imposition of martial law in Mindanao, citing alleged civil and political rights violations.

“The Duterte regime’s adamant defense for the continuing imposition of martial law in Mindanao speaks of its militarist and ineffective approach in addressing the root causes of the social problems that spawned the armed conflicts in Mindanao and elsewhere,” Karapatan said in a statement Thursday.

The group was reacting to the statement of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that it is not yet the time to lift the implementation of martial law in the southern Philippines, which was declared by President Rodrigo Duterte on May 23, 2017 in response to clashes in Marawi that lasted for five months.

“The Palace assures the public that the moment the need for martial law ceases, it would be lifted. But certainly one year after the Marawi siege, the time to lift martial law is not yet here,” Roque said Wednesday.

Martial law in Mindanao has been extended until Dec. 31, 2018 after the majority of Congress approved the chief executive’s request.

“Martial law is among its tools to suppress the exercise of legitimate dissents and of people’s direct actions to uphold basic rights and democratic interests,” Karapatan said.

Human rights violations

The rights advocacy group has documented at least 49 victims of extrajudicial killings in Mindanao since the declaration of martial law, noting that most of the casualties are indigenous peoples and members of local peasant organizations.

It added that there were 22 cases of torture, 116 victims of frustrated extrajudicial killings, 89 victims of illegal arrest and detention and 336,124 victims of indiscriminate gunfire and aerial bombings.

At least 404,654 individuals have been reportedly displaced largely because of these bombings.

In a press briefing in Marawi City Thursday, Roque said that critics should not accuse soldiers of abusive practices if they have no proof.  

“Just shut up. You are not the ones who risk their lives for the country,” he said in Filipino.

Karapatan challenged Roque to make an accounting of the efforts done by the government on the complaints of human rights violations by state forces during the period of implementation of martial law in Mindanao.

“Instead of outrightly dismissing these complaints, Roque should know that several of these complaints have been filed in courts before the Commission on Human Rights and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines Negotiating Panel in its peace talks with the National Democratic Front,” the group said.

Karapatan on Tuesday called on United Nations experts and local officials to conduct an independent investigation into the rights violations and lift martial law in Mindanao.

READ: Karapatan submits report on rights violation under martial law in Mindanao to UN experts