“The trauma from his ordeal has rendered him unable to perform his usual day-to-day activities as he remains apprehensive about potential retaliation from his torturers,” the petition read.
“I was begging for the DSWD (to release me) but they forced me to sign a statement that says I voluntarily went there and did not want to go home. It was against my will.”
Lino Baez recounted what was done to him, which included “beatings, pressing the barrel of a gun to his chest, and applying a chemical to his blindfold which made him nauseous.” Baez was also frequently interrogated by state forces, insisting that he was a top-ranking member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“When torturers and human rights violators are rewarded with promotions and acquittals for the crimes they have perpetuated against individuals and communities, this means that the infrastructure of impunity has been so ingrained in the justice system in the country.”
“Until now, we have not attained justice. We will continue to fight for it.”
“I am saddened that the arraignment did not push through. Still, I am resolved to fight until Palparan’s conviction. I hope Duterte will be true to his word – criminals must be sent to jail.”
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star In a single day, military intelligence operatives rounded up over 50 suspected “subversives” in Manila, herded them inside a military camp’s officers’ clubhouse, and subjected each one to prolonged interrogation. Those who resisted answering or wouldn’t provide the desired information were physically tortured. A…
Every night, they would hear the door open. When soldiers hit the door with truncheons, they knew one of them would be taken out.
For the military, torture and other heinous human rights violations are acceptable when committed against those who refuse to bow to them.
By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo Streetwise | BusinessWorld A day before International Human Rights Day, a long-delayed US Senate Intelligence Committee report on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” (EITs) — or simply put, torture — on post-9/11 suspected “terrorists” held in “black sites” or secret detention sites hosted by certain US allies…