Task Force Detainees of the Philippines

Photos by Rommel Yamzon

Presidential candidates seem to be scared to face and commit themselves to human rights and peace.  This may be a sign that another president with no human rights platform is coming to town come May 2010 election.

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) got this impression after the presidentiables snubbed the forum on human rights and peace in good governance held last January 27 in De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).  Only Nicanor Perlas gave his time to grace the event and share his views and answer questions from the audience of more than 600 composed of students from various universities, the religious and civil society organizations.

The other presidentiables only sent their representatives. The forum was supposed to give the civil society, especially the youth voters, an idea on how the presidentiables view human rights through their response to the human rights agenda presented by the civil society.  

Mr. Neric Acosta represented Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and the Liberal Party (LP); Ms. Kata Inocencio attended for Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Bangon Pilipinas; and Atty. Jo Imbong came in behalf of Councilor John Carlos “JC” De Los Reyes and the Kapatiran Party. All are running for senator.

Students from DLS-CSB,  De La Salle University (DLSU), Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), Far Eastern University (FEU), Sta Isabel College, AMA Computer, University of the Philippines (UP Diliman), St. Joseph’s College of Quezon City, Adamson University (ADU) and EARIST together with several religious congregations, human rights and peoples organizations attended the event.

Peace Makers Circle, Inc. started the program with an interfaith prayer. Silent Steps of DLS-CSB’s School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) exhibited their amazing talent in interpreting the National Anthem.  Coro San Benildo gave their own rendition of Batingaw, a song about human rights by ASIN.

The forum was part of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) and its Mission Partners’ lecture series.  The event was in partnership with DLS-CSB. The human rights agenda was presented by Dr. Nymia Simbulan, executive director of Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights).

TFDP, one of the sponsors of the said event will continue to pose the challenge to all the candidates to commit themselves on the Human Rights Agenda of the people or the Filipinos will once again have a president with no respect and protection for human rights.