Extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances here, despite strong international lobbies continues unabated. The figure of political killings is staggering; 462 (the human rights group of the mainstream left posted more than 800) and still counting.
The impunity of political killings victimized not only the marginalized sector of society such as workers, semi-proletariat, poor peasants and fishers but also its sympathizers such as bishops and priests, judges and lawyers, journalists and students.
Recently, Jonas Burgos, a son of well-known journalist and freedom fighter in the Philippines, the late Joe Burgos, who bravely fought Marcos fascist dictatorship in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, was abducted in broad daylight at the shopping mall by men believed to belong to the intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Since Jonas Burgos’ abduction, the countless, nameless and faceless men and women who have been missing since GMA’s day one in office have found their names and faces through him and has since been the rallying figure for the campaign against forced disappearances.
Parallel to the campaign against extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances is the campaign to nullify the ‘anti-terror’ law also known as Human Security Act of 2007. It was passed before the 13th Congress concluded last March and took effect on July 15, exactly two months post midterm election in May.
The law is virtual Martial Law, it tramples the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Philippine Constitution thus kills all the freedoms and rights an individual could ever exercise such as freedom of privacy, speech, assembly, association, etc. The law must be quashed before it shows its all monstrosities.
As we fight hard to end political killings, forced disappearances and the terror law, we continuously persevere in organizing the workers and peasants and all oppressed classes of the Philippine society even in our more difficult circumstance now.