Families of victims of abduction and killing
protest GMA's counter-insurgency campaign
 

Elizabeth Calubad (right) raising a portrait of Rudy. Rebi Mae (left), Elizabeth's grand daughter holding her father's portrait. In the background is the gallery of martyrs murdered by the GMA regime. browse for more pictures

A statement of STOP!
Stop the Killings in the Philippines
July 15, 2006

The renewed counter-insurgency campaign and additional P1 Billion fund for this has resulted to the increase of political killings and enforced disappearances. We are alarmed and concerned.

We, the families of victims of abduction and killing protest the Arroyo government's counter-insurgency campaign.

We are enraged not only because of the inaction of Mrs. Arroyo's government on what happened to our loved ones. We are enraged also because of the state-sponsored terrorism that is the precise term for the disappearances and killings committed against our people.

In the weeks following Mrs. Arroyo's announcement of an all-out war, ten persons were arbitrarily killed and 15 more were abducted. More people became victims and there are more families like us who are anguished and grieving.

For us, the additional budget given to the police and military seem to be intended to fund death squads that sow terror in the hearts of our compatriots. There is no more distinction between civilians and combatants, even as rebels also have protection under the law against arbitrary deprivation of life or against being made to disappear without a trace.

We are not appeased by, but rather doubtful of the AFP and the PNP's statements that they are only after rebels for in our experience, our spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends were defenseless civilians.

We hold no one else except Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cohorts to be accountable for the death and disappearance of our loved ones. It is the duty of any state to protect every citizen from involuntary disappearance and arbitrary deprivation of life.

We continuously call for an end to this violence so that no one else will suffer in the same way as we and our loved ones did. They may not be in our midst today, but their memory and their exemplary patriotism and service to others is aflame in our hearts.