Task Force Detainees of the Philippines

I am a 24-year-old Canadian who has spent a little over a year living and working in the Philippines. After having worked short-term jobs with the Philippine government and in the private sector, I recently began a new position as an Information Technology intern with TFDP.

My first year in the Philippines was a delight. I delighted in the natural beauty of the Philippines’ soaring mountains and its sandy beaches, and I savored the nation’s rich culture and delectable cuisine. After growing up in Edmonton, a city that is bitterly cold even by Canadian standards, I certainly found much to enjoy in the Philippine climate of nearly perpetual warmth and sunshine. But most importantly, I endlessly marveled at the kindness, the friendliness and the legendary hospitality of the Filipino people.

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was delivered in a context wherein the families of victims, like the mother of Jonas Burgos, are still seeking for truth and justice, human rights violations are committed with impunity, and repressive laws like the Human Security Act of 2007 has been put in place.