AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista called the arrest of high-ranking CPP-NPA leaders Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria as “justice served.” No way.
We want plunderers, corrupt politicians and human rights violators punished, not the people who are part of the peace negotiations with the government. The arrest of the Tiamzon and Austria and five others showed the disinterest of the government in pursuing the peace talks.
If the government is for the peace negotiations, why do they arrest and detain the other party to the negotiations? If they want to address the roots of the armed conflict, why do they kill, abduct, arrest and torture dissenters of the government’s anti-people policies, including our fathers, mothers and families?
For the families of victims of human rights violations, justice is served when perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal arrests and detention, and other human rights violations are arrested and punished. It may be retired general Jovito Palparan or the elements of the police and the military who killed my father Fernando Baldomero; or soldiers and paramilitary forces who terrorize communities in the countryside. They are the enemies of the people.
The Aquino government supposes it could get away from the human rights violations it has committed against the people. The government wishes to be vindicated from its crimes against the people and the people will be cowed in their clamor for justice. The military calls the arrest a way to justice, peace and development. But there can be no justice as the government continues to violate people’s rights. There is no justice when thousands of our people struck by calamities are denied of much-needed relief and rehabilitation. There is no justice when millions of Filipinos wallow in poverty while billions of the people’s money is pocketed by a few.
The government continues to use full military might against the people. The people, in defense of their rights, continue to exercise their right to protest and rebel because they believe that peace through silencing dissent is not justice. Peace talks must resume now. Genuine justice should be served.
Ernan Baldomero
Hustisya vice-chairperson
Brgy. Central, Quezon City
hustisya.media@gmail.com
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