(UPDATED – 3:15 P.M.) The iconic Baclaran Church on Saturday depicts their Christ as an EJK victim, covering the INRI sign of their crucifix with a cardboard that says “Stop The Killings.”
This is being done alongside the church’s weekend-long activities for Human Rights Day that includes the big reveal of their 700-foot long mural wall depicting the parish’s seven missions that include human rights protection.
The activities are intended to spark conversations on Human Rights.
They will do it in time for all anticipated masses Saturday – and all Human Rights Sunday masses, all through the help of the Redemptorist priests.
In early October, just hours after claiming only one extrajudicial killing had taken place since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office last year, the spokesman of the Philippine National Police corrected himself and said there has been none.
PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa pointed out around mid-October that there is no extra-judicial killing, or EJK. Or, put another way, there has been no EJK incident logged by the law enforcement establishment.
To Dela Rosa, therefore, what this means is that there is no EJK. By definition, that is.
Citing the PNP spokesman, Dela Rosa told journalists: “Sinabi ng aming spokesman na walang EJK. Totoo naman talaga, kung pagbasehan natin ang definition ng EJK (It’s true there is no EJK if we base this on the definition). The difficult thing with our critics is that they had one definition of the term, before, and now they are twisting it to use against us.”
But Param-Preet Singh, associate director of Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program, sounded the group’s call for an international investigation of the drug war deaths, led by the United Nations, to “help expose the extent of the abuses and possible targets of a criminal investigation, including possible crimes against humanity.” Read -> PH claim of willingness to probe EJKs ‘false’ – HRW
See also the following related stories:
- Act on, don’t deny, EJKs – CHR to govt
- FROM 1 TO NONE | ‘No EJK’ under Duterte – PNP
- WATCH | PNP’s Dela Rosa says there’s no EJK. Going by definition, that is
- Survey showing 73% of Pinoys believe EJKs happen in Duterte drug war a rejection of ‘nanlaban’ claim – lawmakers
- WATCH | 45 states want UN to probe EJKs, war on drugs; Malacanang says it is open to it but …
- WATCH | MANLABAN | Lawyers band together vs EJKs, rights abuses
ALL PHOTOS BELOW BY BERNARD TESTA, NEWS5 | INTERAKSYON:
In a joint statement issued Friday, December 8, incumbent and former legislators, lawyers and doctors, artists and members of the media, academics and religious leaders, representatives of NGOs and peoples organizations, and prominent individuals warned of a “new and wider wave of killings and human rights violations in the country” under the Duterte government.
Among the signatories to the “Joint Statement of Concern on the Deteriorating Human Rights Situation” are: Sen. Francis Pangilinan and former senators Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tañada; congressmen Edcel Lagman, Christopher Joseph Belmonte, Sarah Elago, Carlos Zarate, Emi de Jesus, Antonion Tinio, France Castro, Ariel Casilao and Tom Villarin;
The statement reads:
“As December 10, International Human Rights Day nears, we decry the continuing deterioration of human rights in our country.
“On top of the premeditated killings by police officers of defenseless youth Kian delos Santos, 17, Carlo Angelo Arnaiz, 19, and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman, 14, the recent killings of Catholic priest Fr. Marcelito Paez in Nueva Ecija. Pastor Lovelito Quinoñes in Mindoro Oriental, and human rights activist Elisa Badayos in Negros Oriental signal a new and wider wave of killings and human rights violations in the country.
“Such killings come on the heels of Pres. Duterte’s closing the door on the peace talks with the NDFP, and his admonition to state security forces to shoot and kill suspected armed rebels. We are alarmed that just as Oplan Tokhang saw thousands of alleged drug users or peddlers mowed down based on mere suspicion and spurious claims of “nanlaban,” the President’s new order can also give state forces the license to kill unarmed civilians conveniently labelled as “rebels.”
“The President’s threat to crack down on activists, critics and all those whom he imagines are conspiring to topple his government has a chilling effect on the public and impinges on our people’s exercise of their political rights and civil liberties.
“The continuing efforts to undermine the system of checks and balances in government – the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, the threat to impeach Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, the bullying of the Commission on Human Rights and the continued detention of Sen. Leila de Lima – are equally worrisome. More so efforts of the President and his supporters to threaten and intimidate members of the media.
“And yet the greatest threat to human rights today is Pres. Duterte’s moves toward authoritarian rule whether through charter change ostensibly to shift to a federal system of government, or an outright power grab through a so-called “revolutionary government.”
“We call on our people to be critical and ever vigilant. Let us resist the erosion of our basic human and democratic rights. Let us unite in fighting tyranny and dictatorship.”
Also among the signatories are: former cabinet members Judy Taguiwalo and Rafael Mariano, lawyers Pacifico Agabin, Ada D. Abad, Antonio La Viña, Jose Manuel Diokno, Pablito V. Sanidad, Arno V. Sanidad, Vicky Avena, Edre Olalia; former congressmen Lorenzo Tañada, Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño;
Catholic bishops Broderick Pabillo, Deogracias Iñiguez, and Arturo Bastes; IFI Obispo Maximo Rhee Timbang, UCCP General Secretary Bp. Reuel Norman O. Marigza, NCCP General Secretary Rev. Fr. Rex Reyes, Benedictine nun Sr. Mary John Mananzan, La Salle Brother Jose Mari Jimenez;
Artists Mae Paner a.k.a. Juana Change, Monique Wilson and Audie Gemora; filmaker Joel Lamangan, singer Chikoy Pura, UP Chancellor Mike Tan, activist RC Constantino, Dr. Margarita Holmes, former National Museum curator John Silva, anti-crime crusader Tessy Ang See, consumer advocate Raul Segovia, economist Men Sta Ana, advertising guru Yoly Ong, former CHR commissioner Mercedes Contreras Danenberg, and former general Guillermo G. Cunanan.