KARAPATAN GROUP TAGGED BY AFP AS “ENEMY OF THE STATE"

KARAPATAN GROUP TAGGED BY AFP AS “ENEMY OF THE STATE"

By Belatmino Dabalos Saguing, Rome, Italy, 11.07.2013  2326 ICT

News item : Philippine human rights group tagged as 'enemy of state'  http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.it/2013/07/philippine-human-rights-group-tagged-as.html

MAGUINDANAO PROVINCE (Mindanao Examiner / July 11, 2013) - Defense by offense is a classic case of someone who is cornered and has nowhere to go, and there’s no other way but to punch one’s way out, this, according to the human rights group Kapapatan, is straight from the horse's mouth - the Armed Forces of the Philippines finally confirmed that it considers the group its enemy.

"By calling Karapatan its enemy, the AFP justified that the victims of human rights violations are also its enemies," Cristina Palabay, Secretary General of Karapatan, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Ms. Palabay’s statements was released after news items was released quoting the Army Chief Lt. Gen. Noel Cobales as saying the "opposition to Baladad's appointment was expected from the 'enemy'... You don't expect any positive statement from the enemy." Brig. Gen Aurelio Baladad, who according to Karapatan is among those responsible for the torture and illegal detention of 43 health workers known as "Morong 43".

Karapatan has described the appointment of Baladad as commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, as "exemplary display of impunity under the Aquino government."

Palabay also commented that The AFP and its officials are making a fool of themselves by saying they are human rights advocates. The military’s record of human rights violations speaks for itself.

Karapatan said it documented 142 cases of extrajudicial killing and 164 frustrated killing; 16 incidents of enforced disappearance; 76 cases of torture; 293 cases of illegal arrest and detention. 

Palabay said further “Hindi namin papatulan yang work-work together na linya ng AFP. Any respectable human rights organization will not be trapped into their lies on security sector reform. We have, and will always, work with the poor and marginalised Filipino people.”

It is clear that the Army chief consider the critics of the regime as their ‘enemy’ in his statement that signifies the AFP’s continued operations against those whom they perceive as 'enemies' of the Aquino administration, and that includes not only members of Karapatan but also leaders and members of people’s organizations and communities opposed to the Aquino government.

Ity could be remembered that all fascist regimes are allergic to criticisms, as characterized by the dictators and autocrats recorded in history of humanity,  each of them considering himself as the nation itself and all who criticize them are their enemy and therefore the enemy of the nation.

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