WE, VICTIMS and relatives of victims, are angered with the return to power of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as House Speaker.
The insult, injustice and impunity that comes with Arroyo’s comeback to power is indescribable for us victims and relatives of victims of human rights violations.
It smacks of insult to the Filipino people who were victims of massive fraud during the 2004 elections. It speaks of the injustice of the thousands of victims of rights violations who were killed and disappeared under the Arroyo presidency’s bloody counter insurgency campaign Oplan Bantay Laya. It illustrates the grave impunity under the Duterte administration that coddles a fraud, plunderer and rights violator, while continuing the same policy of killings and attacks against the people that never have we wished to experience again.
Installing Arroyo as House Speaker is part of the evil maneuvers of the Duterte administration to control not just the Lower House but to complete Arroyo’s ambitions of perpetuating themselves in power.
Like President Duterte’s grand scheme of political rehabilitation for the Marcoses by absolving them of their crimes of plunder and rights violations through shady compromises and personal favors, he has done the same with Arroyo since.
Duterte released Arroyo from hospital arrest as soon as he swore in to power, has put Arroyo’s military men in the Cabinet like General Eduardo Ano and General Hermogenes Esperon while they continue unpunished from atrocities against the people.
General Jovito Palparan remains unpunished, while we agonizingly await the promulgation of the case against him who was praised in one of Arroyo’s SONAs before the Filipino people calling for justice to the 1,206 victims of extrajudicial killings, 206 enforced disappearances and thousands more victimized by Oplan Bantay Laya.
We can never expect justice and respect for human rights from this regime. The Duterte administration is one hell of a coddler of butchers and criminals. Arroyo should be prepared to face the same protests and calls for justice that we have tirelessly done before.
The victims, from Marcos to Arroyo, can only seek justice once these criminals and fascists – Marcos, Arroyo and Duterte – are out of power, once and for all. – EVANGELINE HERNANDEZ, chairperson, Hustisya National Office, 2/F #1 Maaralin cor. Matatag Sts., Central District, Diliman, Quezon City <hustisya.national@gmail.com>
