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Thursday
24Jul2008
Victims of rights violations picket CA, march to SC - report
July 24, 2008
MANILA, Philippines
- Relatives of victims of abductions and disappearances marched to the
Supreme Court in Manila Thursday to voice their dismay over the court’s
allged failure to hand justice to them.
Radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported that the relatives, led by Edita Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos, lamented the Court of Appeals’ dismissal of their petitions for writ of amparo.
Jonas Burgos remains missing more than a year after unidentified men abducted him in a Quezon City restaurant in April 2007.
The militant Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, which supported the relatives, said the denial of writs of amparo was a “step backward for justice for victims of human rights violations.”
In a statement on the Kilusan website, the SCMP noted several human rights cases to include the Burgos abduction, the disappearance of National Democratic Front member Elizabeth Principe and the daughters of slain peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy.
Burgos’ mother sought a writ of habeas corpus while a petition for the writ of amparo was lodged for Principe and Gumanoy’s daughters.
Similarly dismissed was a petition for a writ of amparo for Francisco Saez, witness in the Gumanoy and Eden Marcellana killing in 2003.
SCMP Chairwoman Biyaya Quizon said they least expected this at a time when the families and victims only have the courts of justice to rely on.
“These are landmark cases which we hoped will show that the judiciary does have an active stand on the dire situation of human rights in the country,” Quizon said.
The group also expressed fears that the same may happen to the petition for the writ of amparo of missing University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.
“It is true that the writ of amparo and writ of habeas corpus does not promise to render absolute justice for the victims, and yet by the recent developments, we ask: where then shall they ask for justice?” Quizon said.
The group appealed to the judiciary “not to stop at a point where justice remains elusive for all the victims.” - GMANews.TV
Radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported that the relatives, led by Edita Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos, lamented the Court of Appeals’ dismissal of their petitions for writ of amparo.
Jonas Burgos remains missing more than a year after unidentified men abducted him in a Quezon City restaurant in April 2007.
The militant Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, which supported the relatives, said the denial of writs of amparo was a “step backward for justice for victims of human rights violations.”
In a statement on the Kilusan website, the SCMP noted several human rights cases to include the Burgos abduction, the disappearance of National Democratic Front member Elizabeth Principe and the daughters of slain peasant leader Eddie Gumanoy.
Burgos’ mother sought a writ of habeas corpus while a petition for the writ of amparo was lodged for Principe and Gumanoy’s daughters.
Similarly dismissed was a petition for a writ of amparo for Francisco Saez, witness in the Gumanoy and Eden Marcellana killing in 2003.
SCMP Chairwoman Biyaya Quizon said they least expected this at a time when the families and victims only have the courts of justice to rely on.
“These are landmark cases which we hoped will show that the judiciary does have an active stand on the dire situation of human rights in the country,” Quizon said.
The group also expressed fears that the same may happen to the petition for the writ of amparo of missing University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan.
“It is true that the writ of amparo and writ of habeas corpus does not promise to render absolute justice for the victims, and yet by the recent developments, we ask: where then shall they ask for justice?” Quizon said.
The group appealed to the judiciary “not to stop at a point where justice remains elusive for all the victims.” - GMANews.TV
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