Australia to provide RP P7M to boost human rights campaign

03/13/2010

The Australian government will provide the Philippines a new funding amounting to A$175,000 or about P7 million to help promote and address human rights problems in the country.

Ambassador Rod Smith said the murder of civilians and journalists in Maguindanao province late last year all the more heightened the focus on human rights issues in the Philippines.

Through the Human Rights Small Grants Scheme, the Australian assistance will help establish paralegal committees that will monitor human rights violations resulting from armed conflicts through the project “Enhancing Human Rights Advocacy in Lanao through Legal and Paralegal Support Program,” to be implemented by the Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for Development in Mindanaw Inc (Balaod Mindanaw) in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and Marawi City.

Smith said the project “will support further promote and rebuild human rights awareness and protection in the country.”

“Australia is a long-standing partner to government agencies and civil society groups in the Philippines actively promoting and protecting human rights. We believe that strong and effective institutions, respect for human rights and a legal system that enjoys the people’s trust are all fundamental to achieving this goal,” the Australian envoy said.

The international community, led by the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, called for an independent and thorough investigation, followed by effective prosecution of suspects, including members of the Ampatuan clan, their private armies, and officials of the Philippine National Police who were involved in the so-called Maguindanao massacre last November 23, which has been dubbed the country’s worst election-related violence to date.

Around 100 armed men of the Amputuan militia, including officials of the local police force, intercepted a convoy of female relatives of the Ampatuan’s political rival, Esmail “Toto” Mangudadatu, and their lawyers, who were on their way to file papers for Mangudadatu’s candidacy for the governorship of Maguindanao.

The convoy was accompanied by about 30 journalists. According to a police witness, the members of the convoy were lined up at the site and shot, beginning with the Mangudadatu women, and were then buried along with their vehicles on a graves that were dug by a backhoe.

Smith said the committees will provide human rights education and paralegal training that will help people living in conflict-affected communities to understand their basic rights.

The training will also enhance the people’s capacity to conduct investigation and document human rights violations, which can be used as basis in addressing these cases using local, national and international standards.

Australia is also providing support to various projects through the Karapatan sa Malikhaing Paraan (KaSaMa), a multi-donor initiative that provides funding to civil society organizations to implement innovative human rights projects.

Among the projects Australia will support are: establishing a community-based human rights watch in Maguindanao and North Cotabato; placement of paralegal coordinators in prisons; training women and adolescent volunteers on providing assistance in cases of violation against women; and an exhibition of award-winning films that deal with human rights issues.

“Over the years we have assisted with training workshops for legal practitioners on remedies to address extra-judicial killings and disappearances, supported human rights advocacy, and funded NGOs to deliver better outcomes for children living in poverty. Despite the inroads being made each year, there is still more to be done,” Smith said.

Local human rights groups have recorded at least 850 extra-judicial killings and 450 forced disappearances since President Arroyo assumed office in 2001.

Although the number of killings dropped sharply in 2007-2008 after much condemnation by human rights groups and international pressure, killings have continued.

The UN lamented that not a single member of the military, which was blamed for many of the killings and enforced disappearances, has been prosecuted. Michaela P. del Callar

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