British Columbia Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
Press Release

Human Rights group denounces Philippines government for atrocities

For immediate release: 12 September 2005

The horrific human rights situation in the Philippines will be revealed by returning delegates to the International Solidarity Mission (ISM) in a press conference this Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10 AM at the Kalayaan Centre, 451 Powell St. The Philippines has been designated as the second front against the war on terror after Sept. 11 and thousands of U.S. troops have been in the Philippines allegedly to help train the Philippine military in anti-terrorist work.

The Canadian human rights advocates will report on their meeting with an official of the Canadian Embassy in Manila. Canada provides development aid to the Philippines and some of its largest mining companies including Vancouver-based Placer Dome Inc. are heavily involved in the mining industry there. Filipinos comprise the fourth largest immigrant community in Canada.

“The violations are outrageous and deserve our total condemnation,” says Barbara Waldern chairperson of the B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (BCCHRP) and one of the jurors in the People’s Tribunal which tried and convicted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and U.S. President George W. Bush “guilty” of crimes against humanity. Waldern says the Canadian delegation joined over 80 other delegates from 15 countries in calling for the immediate withdrawal of support for the Arroyo government because of its human rights record.

The press conference is particularly significant because of the recent defeat of the impeachment complaint against Arroyo on Sept. 6. Three boxes of the ISM findings were submitted to the Philippine Congress justice committee who were hearing the case against Arroyo.

A broad coalition of oust –Arroyo forces has emerged including former president Corazon Aquino and Susan Roces, widow of the late presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr. who is widely believed to have been cheated by Arroyo in the last presidential election. A national transport strike is being waged today in the country as one of the strategies to hasten Arroyo’s downfall.
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For more information:
Ted Alcuitas or May Farrales
604-215-1905