STATEMENT OF POLITICAL DETAINEE ERICSON ACOSTA ON HIS RELEASE

 Nearly two years after my arrest, I am in high spirits as I return to the ranks of cultural workers and mass activists for national democracy.

My incarceration brought me face to face with the grim conditions in prison, and the dismal state of our justice system. In those two years, as well, my comrades and supporters have kept me abreast on current events, national campaigns, and urgent people’s concerns. Our fight for human rights and justice amidst the climate of impunity in the country is even more pressing today;  and it is a compelling reason for our unity and action.

Our campaign for human rights has for the past years attained worldwide reach. We are in a better  position to push for the release of all political prisoners. Reflecting on my own experience, a crucial component of this campaign is our call to end the criminalization of political dissent, illegal arrest and torture.  Only then can we ensure that people like Maricon Montajes, Charity Dino, Alan Jazmines, Bart Alcantara, Eduardo Sarmiento, Randy Vegas, Raul Camposano, who have chosen to serve the people will not suffer further injustice.

I wish to thank the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) led by Atty. Edre Olalia, Atty. Jun Oliva and Atty. Rey Cortez and the Free Ericson Acosta Campaign (FEAC) which is a broad network that vigorously campaigned for my freedom here and abroad. I would also like to thank the Public Attorney’s Office led by Atty. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, the doctors and staff of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Sen. Chiz Escudero, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),  the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), KARAPATAN, SELDA,  BAYAN, the Concerned Artists of the Philippines, the Amnesty International, PEN International and Philippine PEN led by National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, the various Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines in various parts of the world, INTAL Belgium, HumanWrongs Philippines, the ALL U.P. Workers Alliance, CONTEND, various people’s organizations and progressive partylist groups representatives from Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, ACT and Kabataan, and the Kapunungan han Gudti nga Paraoma ha Weste han Samar-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KAPAWA-KMP) which enabled me to integrate with the peasant communities in Samar.

We will continue to call for a general, omnibus and unconditional amnesty for all political prisoners. We will continue to fight for justice. And through our collective efforts, we will be victorious.

PADAYON!

Int’l groups to DOJ: Resolve pending review, release Ericson Acosta now!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2013

International human rights groups appealled yet again to the Department of Justice (DoJ)  to immediately issue a favorable resolution to the Petition for Review filed by detained poet-activist Ericson Acosta.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who met with Acosta’s family last week, promised Acosta and his supporters that the DoJ resolution will be out “by Friday (last week) or early next week.” However, The DoJ is yet to release its decision as of posting time.

In separate statements addressed to the DoJ, human rights support groups from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reiterated their appeal for Acosta’s immediate and unconditional release.  

“Acosta’s complainants have failed to file any comment on this petition. Without such opposition, the review petition should have been resolved within 60 days,” said Rev. Canon Barry Naylor, honorary president of the CHRP-UK (Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines-United Kingdom).  The petition for review was filed by Acosta’s lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) in September 2011.

“We as SF CHRP (San Francisco Committee for Human Rights Rights in the Philippines) demand that all of the trumped-up and fabricated charges against him be dropped and that he is set free in order to pursue his artistic passions,” said Rupert Estanislao, chair of the SF CHRP.

“(Acosta’s) continued detention is a colossal injustice to Acosta and to the Filipino people whom he has chosen to serve through his courageous and creative involvement in the people’s struggle for their economic, political and cultural rights,”  said Orval K. Chapman, founding member of the Canada-Philippines-Solidarity for Human Rights.

Acosta, 40, a cultural worker arrested by the military in San Jorge, Samar while conducting human rights research,  is currently confined at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City after securing a court order for a medical furlough.  Upon arrest, Acosta was interrogated and tortured inside a military camp for three days before a trumped-up charge of illegal possession of explosive was filed against him to justify his arrest and detention.  Before his confinement at the NKTI, Acosta was detained for 23 months at the Calbayog sub-provincial jail in Samar.

His supporters say that his current medical problems are the direct result of torture and dismal prison conditions.

The Free Ericson Acosta Campaign (FEAC) demanded that the DOJ resolve the case immediately while Acosta is under medical furlough. “We do not want him to return to a hostile environment given his medical condition,” the group said.  

“The only thing (Acosta)  is guilty of is dedication and service to the oppressed masses of the Philippines,” they said.

Father also in hospital

Acosta’s family continues to raise funds for his medical bills even as Acosta’s elderly father, Isaias, 79, who publicly appealed for his son to receive medical treatment since July of last year, is now also scheduled to undergo a spinal operation within the week.

“The distress of Ericson’s imprisonment has also taken its toll on my husband’s health. He is in severe pain now due to a spinal ailment and needs to immediately undergo operation. We are very old, our only wish is to see our son walk free again,” said Liwaway, 80,  Acosta’s mother. ###

Appeal to DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima

December 20, 2012

HON. LEILA DE LIMA

Secretary, Department of Justice

Manila, Philippines

Secretary de Lima,

I am Isaias P. Acosta, father of detained poet and activist Ericson L. Acosta. My son has been illegally detained at the Calbayog City sub-provincial jail in Samar for 22 months now. He was arrested without warrant by the Philippine army February 13, 2011 in San Jorge, Samar.

Madame Secretary, I am writing you once again to seek the immediate release of my son.

My wife and I are now both very old – my wife just turned 80 and I am turning 80 next year. We would willingly spend this coming Christmas with our son as we did last year, if not for our failing health. We may have but a few years left and our only wish is to see Ericson walk free again.

The serious irregularities and human rights abuses so evident in the conduct of Ericson’s arrest and detention urged us to file a Petition for Review before your good office, with high hopes for a swift, decisive and just resolution. We were even thankful then that Ericson’s unlawful arrest occurred under President Aquino’s new administration. We had nothing but optimism and faith in the President’s promise of justice and impartiality and his “daang matuwid” crusade.

But how long must we wait, Madame Secretary? It has been 22 months and we are still waiting in vain. 

It has been more than a year since we filed our Review Petition in September 2011 – and the DOJ resolution remains pending. The standard 60 days of waiting have now stretched into 446 tortuous days. This has been punctuated by two more motions to seek the immediate resolution of the original Petition; dozens of letters of appeal and thousands of petition signatures gathered from various activities of concerned organizations and supporters from all over the world; and three week-long hunger strikes by Ericson – not a line or page of any formal opposition from Ericson’s military accusers, yet the Justice department still cannot issue a resolution. Why does it now seem that this government cannot swiftly dispense justice?

The grave injustice of Ericson’s unwarranted arrest, torture and incarceration torments us each day he remains in prison. Ericson has been languishing in jail without due process and far longer than warranted by the country’s own laws. My son is in effect rendered de facto “criminal” and “terrorist” by the military, and sadly, by the President’s own spokesperson who has declared that there are officially no political prisoners in the country. With these insensitive, irresponsible pronouncements, are we being made to accept that we have no choice but to be at the mercy of the military? This simply cannot be so, Madame Secretary.

The longer Ericson stays in prison, the more that we become direct witnesses, and, yes, victims, to injustice, serious threats and harassment.

This “terrorist” hysteria has been the military’s justification for the highly irregular deployment of 8^th Infantry Division troopers within the civilian sub-jail compound in Calbayog City. Ericson is regularly being subjected to intimidation and verbal abuse by young, sorry pawns in full-battle gear threatening that he is never safe from so-called “accidents” inside prison. His visitors and supporters likewise suffer harassment and undue surveillance, even after they leave the prison compound. This was the kind of hostile environment that we ourselves witnessed and experienced during our Christmas jail visit last year.

On July 2012, we filed a motion at the RTC Branch in Gandara, Samar requesting permission for Ericson to undergo immediate medical check-up after he complained of sharp pains while urinating. During a hearing in August, Ericson was ironically asked by the prosecutor to prove that he is indeed ill, for him to be allowed access to a proper medical facility. Unfortunately, our lawyers recently informed us that the RTC Judge has already denied our motion, without prejudice to the presentation of proof that Ericson is indeed ill.  

For several months now, we have been doing all within our means to have a private doctor check on Ericson but facilitating a doctor’s visit is extremely difficult for us financially and physically as we are also dealing with our own medical maladies. But above all other difficulties, we have to primarily deal with the very real but unspoken viciousness of military threats and harassment. It is precisely the fear of earning the ire of the military that has discouraged doctors from visiting Ericson. Arrested without committing any crime, tortured, locked-up, intimidated and denied medical attention – for how long must our son go through such cruel fate, Madame Secretary? 

On the mornings of October 24 and 25 this year, our driver received text messages saying that Ericson “is in danger..he might get killed on all souls day,” and warning that we, his parents, were also targets for assassination.

On November 2, the text threats warned that our house was already surrounded by assassins. We could have easily dismissed these messages as awful but harmless pranks but local human rights workers based in Calbayog City also received the very same messages.

Through Ericson's friends and supporters, we were able to report the incidents. But when authorities told us that more soldiers have been dispatched to the jail to assure Ericson's "safety," we were far from appeased. 

We are now more anxious and restless knowing too well that increased military presence in and around the sub-provincial jail is the primary threat to our son's life and well-being. 

It has been 22 months, Madame Secretary. 22 months of anguish and anxiety for us, his parents. 22 months of longing for Ericson to be reunited with own son and family. 22 months of disappointment and disillusionment for all his supporters around the world. 22 months of government neglect. 22 months of injustice. 

It has been more than enough.

(signed)

ISAIAS P. ACOSTA

Tanikala at Talinhaga (Chained Metaphors)

"Tanikala at Talinhaga" (Chained Metaphors) is a documentary on artist-political prisoners in the Philippines: National Democratic Front peace consultant Alan Jazmines, a poet and visual artist; activist poet-songwriter Ericson Acosta, and film student Maricon Montajes.

This clip features the segment on poet Ericson Acosta.

There are more than 400 political prisoners in the Philippines today. For more information, please visit  http://freeallpps.wordpress.com/

FREE THE ARTIST!

Read this Yahoo! article on Ericson Acosta http://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/writer-voice-calbayog-jail-213001875.html -- "My grandson Emmanuel watched a film on national hero 'Jose Rizal'. I knew there are some questions lurking in his mind: what was Rizal writing  and why was he in jail? Why was he shot and what was his crime?"

Day of the Imprisoned Writer

Family of political prisoner decries threat, harassment

 

Troops from the 8th Infantry Battalion are deployed within a civilian facility -- the Calbayog sub-provincial jail where political prisoner Ericson Acosta is detained for more than a year now.

Father asks President Aquino: “Who will be held responsible if something bad happens to my son while he is unjustly detained?”

The family of political prisoner Ericson Acosta decried threats against their son and their family after receiving text messages which said he or his parents might get killed on November 2, All Souls Day.

Isaias Acosta, 79, father of Ericson, said his driver received a series of messages in the morning of October 24 and 25. The first message read: “ericson acosta is in danger he might get killed on all souls day please spread the news.”

This was followed by a Filipino translation of the first message:  “please spread the news ericson acosta plano patayin sa araw ng patay. kung ndi man siya ay ang kanyang magulang n nktra sa anapolis cubao... Anonymous UST...”  

Ericson Acosta, 40, is a poet and journalist who was arrested without warrant on February 13, 2011 in San Jorge, Samar. Military elements accosted him for mere possession of a laptop.  After three days of interrogation and torture inside a military camp, Acosta was charged with illegal possession of explosive and was tagged by the military as a high-ranking NPA rebel.

“Wala kaming kaaway. Matatanda na kami. Marami na kaming sakit. Mag- ootsenta anyos na ang asawa ko ngayong Linggo. Magbi-birthday siya na nakakulong pa rin ang aming bunso. Ito pa ba ang ireregalo nila sa kanya? (We have no known enemies. We are too old. We have many illnesses. My wife is turning 80 this Sunday. She will mark her birthday with our youngest son still behind bars. Is this their idea of a birthday present?”

According to Acosta, they can only suspect these threats to come from state agents. “Ericson is the lone political prisoner (at the sub-provincial jail in Calbayog City), yet the military has deployed troops around the jail to harass him and his visitors. The jail is supposed to be a civilian facility, yet Ericson has been virtually under military detention.”

The elder Acosta is equally disheartened about President Aquino’s rash statements on the country’s human rights situation. In recent interviews, human rights violations were dismissed by the President as “only Leftist propaganda.”

Lamenting the President’s recent pronouncements, Isaias said, “My son is a victim of torture and prolonged illegal detention. Our petition for review before the DOJ (Department of Justice) has been pending for more than a year now, when it should only take 60 days for them to issue a resolution.”

“Last July, we filed a motion for Ericson to be accorded immediate medical attention for his renal problems. After three months, the court has not acted upon the motion. Private doctors have silently turned down our requests to check on Ericson -- we understand their fears because Ericson is surrounded by soldiers. In his latest letter, Ericson said he had another high fever last week. Instead of justice, we now receive more insults and threats.”

“Bakit naghahamon ng tulong ang Presidente para maresolba ang mga kaso ng pang-aabuso, gayong nasa kanya na nga ang lahat ng kapangyarihan? (Why must the President challenge people to help him solve these cases of abuses, when he has all the power to do this?)” he asked.

“Gusto ko pong tanungin ang Pangulo: sino po ang magiging responsable kapag may masamang nangyari sa anak ko habang siya’y nakakulong at hindi gumugulong ang hustisya? ( I would like to ask the President: who will be held responsible if something bad happens to my son while he is unjustly detained?)”said Mr. Acosta. 

November 15 is International Day of the Imprisoned Writer

The Day of the Imprisoned Writer is an annual, international day intended to recognize and support writers who resist repression of the basic human right to freedom of expression and who stand up to attacks made against their right to impart information.

Ericson Acosta is a Filipino poet, journalist, and songwriter who was arrested without warrant on February 13, 2011 in Samar. Military elements

accosted him for mere possession of a laptop. To this day, Ericson remains imprisoned. He and his family continue to suffer various forms of harassment.

Ericson Acosta is only one of more than 400 political prisoners under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

We enjoin all writers, writers' groups, circles and publications to share their advocacy for freedom by composing a piece for the freedom of Ericson Acosta. Put together, our appeals, statements, poems, and other contributions will demonstrate the strength of the worldwide solidarity for the freedom of the imprisoned writer on November 15, 2012. Please spread the word!

Click here for the PEN International appeal for Ericson Acosta's release: and the Philippine PEN resolution to support the campaign to free Ericson Acosta:

Please send copies of your appeals to freeericsonacosta@gmail.com.

Appeal from Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights

Mr. President, your father’s memory as a political prisoner, hopes to bring you to take action to promote the protection of human rights of Filipino people. One of the very first acts of the late Pres. Corazon Aquino, your mother, was to free political prisoners. It was an action matched with her words to restore the Filipino people's democratic rights.

7 September 2012

His Excellency Benigno Simeon Aquino III 
President Republic of the Philippines 
Malacañang Palace JP Laurel Street, San Miguel Manila 1005 Philippines

Transmitted via Electronic Mail and Telefax:
corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph
(+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968

Dear President Benigno Simeon Aquino III:

On behalf of the Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR), I would like to bring to your attention, the case of ERICSON ACOSTA, an artist, poet, cultural worker, former editor of the University of the Philippines’s school Paper, and human rights activist—who is illegally detained at the sub-provincial jail of Calbayog City, Samar province.

While doing a study on the human rights situation in militarized communities with the Small Peasants Association of Western Samar and the Alliance of Concerned Samarenos (ACOS), Acosta was arrested without warrant by members of the 34th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in February 13, 2011. A grenade was later produced by the military who accused him of illegal possession of an explosive, which is a non-bailable offence.

According to the counter-affidavit that was filed by the National Union of People’s Lawyers on Acosta’s behalf:
a. He was arrested without warrant while not committing any crime or doing anything illegal;
b. He was not informed of the reason for his arrest at the time of his arrest;
c. He was denied the right to counsel;
d. He was denied a phone call and prevented from contacting his family or his lawyer;
e. He was subjected to prolonged interrogation for 44 hours;
f. During tactical interrogation, he was physically and psychologically tortured;
g. He was deprived of sleep, threatened, intimidated, coerced and forced to admit membership in the New People’s Army;
h. The grenade subject of the case was planted;
i. The complaint against him was filed in court only after 72 hours and 30 minutes;
j. He was detained in a military camp, which is not of civilian jurisdiction.”

Acosta’s incarceration is a violation of Article 9 of the Convention on Civil and Political Rights which protects a person from arbitrary arrest and detention, to which the Philippine government is a signatory.
In a recent open letter written by Acosta’s father, Isaias, it was revealed that Acosta is suffering from abdominal and back pains, is passing blood in his urine and may possibly have a prostate problem due to bad prison conditions. For humanitarian reasons, political detainees like Ericson Acosta, ought to be freed immediately because he is sick.

Mr. President, your father’s memory as a political prisoner, hopes to bring you to take action to promote the protection of human rights of Filipino people. One of the very first acts of the late Pres. Corazon Aquino, your mother, was to free political prisoners. It was an action matched with her words to restore the Filipino people's democratic rights.

CPSHR adds our collective voice to the legions of individuals and organizations in the Philippines and abroad such as the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the Philippine Center of the International PEN, and Amnesty International in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Acosta. His continued detention is a colossal injustice to Acosta and to the Filipino people whom he has chosen to serve through his courageous and creative involvement in the people’s struggle for their economic, political and cultural rights.

Thank you and we hope for your immediate attention and action on this case.

Sincerely yours,


SGD. Orval K. Chapman
Founding Member
Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights


Copy furnished:
Mr. Jose Arthur P. Ampeso, Consul General 
700 West Pender, Suite 1405 Philippine Consulate, Vancouver BC

Hon. Leila M. De Lima Secretary, Department of Justice (DOJ)
Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila, 1000 
Email: lmdelima@doj.gov.ph / doj.delima@gmail.com

Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin Secretary, Department of National Defense (DND) 
Camp Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo Quezon City 1110 
Fax: +63 2 982 5640; Tel: +63 2 982 5638 
Email webmaster@dnd.gov.ph

Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales Commission on Human Rights (CHR) 
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue U.P. Complex, Diliman Quezon City 
Tel: +63 2 928 5655, +63 2 926 6188; Fax: +63 2929 0102 
Email: rosales.chr@gmail.com

General Eduardo SL Oban Jr. Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 
DND Building, Camp Gen Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City 1110 
Tel: +63 2 911 6001 local 8414; Fax: +63 2 421 3531 
Email: bacsecretariat@dnd.gov.ph

Open Letter in Support of the Immediate Release of Filipino Artist Ericson Acosta - CHRP-UK

As published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer -- "Aquino's Disturbing Indifference"

We at the Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines in United Kingdom are deeply concerned with the Philippine government’s seeming lack of interest on reported irregularities and rights abuses in the conduct of the arrest and continued illegal detention of Filipino artist Ericson Acosta.

Acosta was arrested without warrant on 13 February 2011 in San Jorge, Samar. Government soldiers nabbed him in an upland militarized village where Acosta was conducting research on the local human rights and environmental situation in the region. According to Acosta’s counter-affidavit, he stayed in a military camp for three days where he was interrogated and tortured for 44 hours straight. Illegal possession of explosives was charged against him to justify his illegal arrest. He is currently detained at the Calbayog sub-provincial jail where troopers from the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army has camped-out within the jail premises, causing sustained harassment and intimidation to Acosta, his family and visitors.

Acosta has made direct complaints and appeals to visiting local officers of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (PCHR) in the Eastern Visayas. These PCHR officers bore direct witness to the highly-irregular military deployment within the civilian detention facility. However, the PCHR has failed to make any report public, more so to publicly condemn these rights abuses.

A Petition for Review which cites serious irregularities and rights abuses was filed by Acosta’s counsel, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) before the Philippines’ Department of Justice (PDOJ) in September 2011. Acosta’s complainants have failed to file any comment on this petition. Without such opposition, the review petition should have been resolved within 60 days. However, upon inquiry at the PDOJ, resolution to the said petition is still currently pending. The NUPL has recently filed a motion for the immediate resolution of the review.

No less than the alternate voice of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, spokesperson Edwin Lacierda has told local reporters that “there are no political prisoners” in the Philippines. When asked about government response to the plight of Acosta and some 350 other detainees incarcerated because of their political beliefs, the President’s spokesperson can only offer empty rhetoric. This indifference has brought very real suffering to detainees like Acosta and their families.

We urge concerned Philippine authorities, especially the PDOJ to act without delay on Ericson Acosta’s review petition and effect his immediate release. His rights continue to be violated each day he remains incarcerated. Consequently, reported rights abuses and irregularities must be thoroughly investigated and acted upon.

Indeed, it has become disturbing to observe how a government led by the son of a revered political prisoner and democracy icon could turn a blind eye to the plight of Ericson Acosta and other political detainees in the Philippines.

Rev Canon Barry Naylor
Honorary President – Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines (CHRP-UK)
Urban Canon and Parish Priest of the Abbey and Holy Spirit Ministries, Leicester

Stand By Me

Isang Minutong Katahimikan

"Isang Minutong Katahimikan" is a song on impunity and extra-judicial killings written by artist and political detainee Ericson Acosta. Performed by human rights lawyer and musician Pochoy Labog (of Dicta License/Malay) and BAYAN Secretary General Renato Reyes, Jr.

Free All Political Prisoners!

Join the Campaign to Free All Political Prisoners in the Philippines

through General, Unconditional and Omnibus Amnesty

Today there is an ongoing, protracted armed conflict in the Philippines with deep socio-economic and political roots. There is also much social discontent and political dissent that have been met with fascist repression by all governments since the U.S. granted the country its bogus independence. Thus trumped-up charges, illegal arrests and detention, torture and unjust conviction on false political and/or criminal charges constitute continuing and blatant violation of the people’s rights.

Political prisoners are those who are arrested, detained and imprisoned for acts in furtherance of their political beliefs. As a consequence, they are arbitrarily denied their liberty and due process of law.

They may be charged with political offenses such as rebellion, sedition and variations thereof.

But more often than not they are charged with criminal offenses in an effort to deny the political nature of their alleged offenses and to stigmatize them as plain criminals guilty of the most heinous crimes. Political prisoners are slapped with murder, multiple murder, frustrated murder, arson, kidnapping, robbery in band, illegal possession of firearms and others. These are all non-bailable offenses meant to keep the PPs incarcerated while court hearings proceeded at snail’s pace.

There are a total of 354 political prisoners (PPs) reported as of end June 2011. Majority were arrested under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, they being among the most determined in opposing the corrupt, repressive and puppet Arroyo regime. There are 27 who were arrested before Arroyo’s time and 47 under Benigno Aquino III.

Political prisoners, their families, people’s organizations, human rights organizations, lawyers’ groups, legislators, as well as international human rights networks persist in their efforts to rectify the injustice against political prisoners and other victims of human rights violations. They demand freedom for all political prisoners.

We call on President Noynoy Aquino to declare a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty for all political prisoners.

General means all political prisoners, or what the government refers to as alleged political offenders, covered by the effectivity of an Amnesty Proclamation, whether they are charged with political or criminal offenses.

Unconditional means no precondition is set before they can be released. They will not have to go through a tedious application process and will not be required to plead guilty or make any admissions. They only need to be covered by the definition and effectivity of the Proclamation. The operative act needed to effect their immediate release is their inclusion in a pre-screened list and acceptance of the General, Unconditional and Omnibus Amnesty Proclamation.

Omnibus means that all charges or offenses as defined in the Proclamation are covered by the amnesty.

Sign the online petition here and here.

WHEN RIGHTS ARE WRONGED

WHEN RIGHTS ARE WRONGED
Torture and Impunity in the Philippines
June 29, 2011, 9am-12nn
CM Recto Hall, Faculty Center
UP Diliman, QC

SELDA, Desaparecidos, and UP Kilos Na invite you to a forum on torture and disappearances in the Philippines on June 29, 9am-12nn at the CM Recto Hall, Faculty Center, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.