[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’EDITORIAL | Taken’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=”]
Monday, May 1, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
TODAY is Labor Day. It is a fitting time to focus on two Ilonggo desaparecidos – labor and political activists Ma. Luisa Posa Dominado and Nilo Arado. Ten years ago they suffered the terrible fate of being forcibly taken away. No one knows where they are up to now. Are they still alive? While violations of economic and social rights are the order of the day, this unresolved case reminds us, too, of the reality that violations of civil and political rights such as involuntary disappearances continue to happen.
Luisa and Nilo are – we refer to them in the present tense because we remain hopeful that they are still alive and may soon be released safely to their families – not only political activists; they are labor leaders, too, who fight for the emancipation of Ilonggo peasants and workers. Distraught families and friends recently remembered the 10th anniversary of their enforced disappearance. Certainly, they do not deserve this inhumane act.
Enforced or involuntary disappearances are grave human rights violations. Since the imposition of martial law, the number of missing persons (strongly presumed to have been taken by the military) has considerably increased, even under the administrations of presidents who succeeded Ferdinand Marcos. In December 2012 this was criminalized in our country in accordance with a United Nations’ resolution that this inhumane act should be prevented and eradicated.
The Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act is the first of its kind in Asia and conforms to the United Nations’ Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. But the problem of impunity remains. In the case of Luisa and Nilo – and others with similar cases like activist Jonas Burgos who was abducted in Metro Manila on the same month and year the two Ilonggos were taken away by armed men (April 2007) – no perpetrator has been punished. Redress and compensation have never been provided to the concerned families of the disappeared.
A number of administrations had succeeded the tyrannical and rapacious Marcos regime. Yet, each administration, just like its predecessor, failed to bring about the very elusive justice which is a prerequisite to a just and lasting peace.
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
