Anne Marxze D. Umil was Bulatlat’s first intern turned into its investigative reporter. She takes most things seriously, except praises about her. Sometimes, she cracks jokes that make everyone in the newsroom giggly.
Anne Marxze D. Umil was Bulatlat’s first intern turned into its investigative reporter. She takes most things seriously, except praises about her. Sometimes, she cracks jokes that make everyone in the newsroom giggly.
“If human rights defenders are not brutally murdered, they are thrown behind bars over absurd criminal charges based on perjured testimonies and planted evidence, all to concoct the lie that human rights defenders are terrorists or criminals.”
“We welcome the court’s decision on Betty’s case and the upholding of truth and justice. This proves once again the non-existence of the police’s credibility.”
“The Solicitor General’s allegation is nothing but a desperate attempt to discredit groups that stand firm in opposing the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law that is broadly criticized for the threats it poses against dissenters.”
“It is not right to say that we forced them to sign the paper because it is for their benefit especially if the ATA is declared unconstitutional by the SC.”
Police in Caraga claimed in a statement that those arrested are high ranking members of the New People’s Army. Three of them are being implicated in the killing of members of the Manobo tribe and former New People’s Army fighters in the region but rights group assert that all of them are active in the people's organizations based in the city.
IADL President Jeanne Mirer said the attacks on Filipino lawyers are in violation of international law including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, the Convention against Torture and even of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, among others.
“The ordeal of Frenchie Mae is part of the increasing persecution of the critical media by the forces of a government so intolerant of criticism and dissent that the mere exercise of democratic rights is enough for one to be branded an "enemy of the state."
“The NCIP’s so-called ‘datus’ vaguely label Rep. Cullamat’s participation in the protest as a ‘disrespectful act.’ We ask these datus: how is speaking in a peaceful protest action ‘disrespectful?’ How is the exercise of one’s democratic rights a rational basis for banning an elected representative from her own ancestral community?”
Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio of Branch 209, in a 10-page decision dated Feb. 5, declared that the search warrant used to enter Salem's Mandaluyong home is null and void, rendering the firearms and explosives purportedly found in their possession as inadmissible evidence before the court.
“We are concerned with the Anti-Terror law and its impacts on movements."
“The arrest warrant is the legal cover for the potential commission of other human rights violations and irregularities such as the planting of firearms and explosives to justify additional non-bailable charges. Such was the experience of other activists such as Rey Casambre, Maoj Maga, Alexander Reyes and many others.”
“The Duterte administration's cha-cha will also pave the way for greater depletion and plunder of our natural resources due to corruption and fascist rule. It will also open up space for amendments to political provisions such as lifting of the term limits."
“Pagkalinawan’s statement is a pretext for the speedy extra-judicial killing of [Windel] Bolinget before law and evidence will prove that this is a false charge."
“The situation of Filipino peasants when they marched from Central Luzon to Mendiola in 1987 remains unchanged, and even worse this 2021, especially with the rising cases of peasant massacres and mass killings under the Duterte administration.” - KMP
“I asked why they killed him, and they denied it. But I saw it with my own two eyes, they shot my husband.”
“It is important that peace talks continue as this is one of the avenues to resolve the roots of armed conflict.”
“Parang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig. (My enthusiasm was immediately put off) If you could just imagine the mental anguish that we feel because all along we thought we will be with him this Christmas.”
“When lawyers, prosecutors, and workers in the justice sector are murdered with impunity and alarming regularity, no one feels safe; our people lose trust and faith in our government and its justice system, and the unscrupulous are emboldened to take the law in their criminal hands.”
"Impunity. When the police think they can do anything, including shoot unarmed civilians at point blank, and when they show us how human life has very little value nowadays. #StopTheKillingsPH.”
Relatives of Dennise Velasco and Joel Demate asserted that the “issuance of the search warrants was tainted with infirmities,” and the implementation of the search warrant “is in violation of established rules of procedure and in gross derogation of their constitutional rights.”
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