Letter to the Editor — Victims' relatives, rights groups vow to make Arroyo accountable amidst junking of impeachment case

Three days after Gloria Arroyo's allies in Congress junked the impeachment complaint filed by citizen complainants, human rights groups KARAPATAN, Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace (EMJP), Desaparecidos and relatives of victims of extra-judicial killings and disappearances vow to make Arroyo accountable for committing high crimes against Filipinos.

"The people are once again denied a remedy to stop human rights abuses by the Arroyo government, however, this will not stop us from finding ways to make her accountable for her transgressions," said Marie Hilao-Enriquez, KARAPATAN Secretary General.

KARAPATAN is set to file cases and reports at the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) next month and is looking at filing cases against the Arroyo government in other international bodies where victims' relatives can get a hearing.

It will be recalled that in its 2003 concluding observations, the UNHRC has lined up several questions on the Philippine government's poor performance in its compliance to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The UN body instructed the Philippine government to reply to these observations on November 1, 2006. The group is also set to lobby for the review of the pledges the government promised as a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Families of victims lambasted Arroyo's allies in the House of Representatives for resorting to victim-blaming in order to justify the junking of the impeachment complaint.

"All they said was that complainants were at fault for filing the complaint and they even shielded Arroyo for abetting human rights violations, the substance of the complaint being lodged against her. We did not even get a hearing," said Evangeline Hernandez, mother of slain human rights worker Benjaline and one of the citizen complainants.

Relatives of victims and KARAPATAN said the battle is far from over and they will continue to cry out for justice and campaign against the Arroyo government's terrorism.

At the fifth monthly gathering of families, friends and colleagues of victims of killings and disappearances, Enriquez said, "Ultimately, our people will make this government accountable by invoking their right to rise up against the tyrant that is Gloria Arroyo, just like what they did to the hated dictator Marcos."

The gathering was held at the Ibon Center in Timog Avenue, where an internationally-released book on the Stop the Killings in the Philippines campaign was launched. Every 3rd Saturday of the month, an indoor gathering or outdoor protest action by victims' relatives, supported by human rights advocates, is held to call for justice and campaign against extra-judicial killings and involuntary disappearances. KARAPATAN
Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights
#34B Maamo Street Sikatuna Village, Quezon City PHILIPPINES 1101 Telefax 4354146
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