MANILA, Philippines – Human rights defenders have called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to urge president-elect Sen. Benigno Aquino III to fulfill his campaign promise to promote human rights and prosecute the perpetrators of human rights violations in the Philippines.
The Philippines, a UNHRC member, is signatory to major UN human rights instruments.
Speaking Tuesday at the UNHRC’s 14th session in Geneva, Switzerland, Rex Reyes, Ecumenical Voice for Peace and Human Rights head, said the human rights of farmers, workers, indigenous peoples, social activists, religious, lawyers and journalists in various parts of the Philippines have been violated.
“We urge this Council to help us make the president-elect stand by his campaign promise,” he said.
Reyes said the UNHRC must urge the government to stop its counterinsurgency program dubbed as Operation Bantay Laya (Freedom Watch), which makes no distinction between armed combatants and civilians.
Its continued implementation has caused massive human rights violations the victims of which cut across all sectors in Philippine society.
Reyes said Aquino had pledged to prosecute all those involved in unexplained killings.
“That’s part of the agenda (of the incoming administration),” he quoted Aquino as saying.
Judicial reform is so important. There has to be closure as soon as possible, which means not the usual average of six years.
A total of 1,192 cases of unexplained killings, 205 forced disappearances and 1,028 cases of torture have occurred in the country since 2001, according to Reyes, National Council of Churches in the Philippines general secretary.
He cited the Maguindanao massacre in November last year and the arrest of 43 health workers in Morong, Rizal last Feb. 6.
Reyes formally thanked UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Philip Alston for his trailblazing efforts into the issues of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
Alston’s report and recommendations on the Philippines in 2008, as well as his report to the 14th Session, are outstanding pieces of work that human rights advocates and defenders in the Philippines find very instructive and helpful, he added. — Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star)
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos
July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
