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We, therefore, strongly urge the Philippine government to comply with its responsibilities under international law and fully respect human rights principles by putting an end to enforced disappearance and witch hunting as means to stifle political dissent. One concrete step that the Philippine government should take is to accede without reservation to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The Convention, which upholds the right to truth and the non-derogability of the right against enforced disappearance, requires States to criminalize enforced disappearance in their statute books. Should the Philippine government enact an Anti-Enforced Disappearance law, it will guarantee not only the prevention of the commission of enforced disappearance but also the illegal arrest and detention of political prisoners As the law would require an up-to-date registry of persons deprived of liberty among other safeguards against violation of their rights. It will also serve as a good example to other Asian States which are facing similar phenomena of illegal detention and enforced disappearances. Time is indeed of the essence for human rights victims. President Aquino should act NOW. He should not treat the on-going hunger strike of political prisoners as merely a humanitarian issue but a basic political element towards attaining peace and justice in the country. The President should recognize that the political prisoners are not common criminals but prisoners of conscience like his father, the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino Jr. even as he is duty bound to bring justice the perpetrators of enforced disappearance from the Marcos regime to his own dispensation.
ASIAN FEDERATION AGAINST INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES (AFAD) & FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCE (FIND)