On the Dinner / Dance for a Cause
4 August 2017
Good evening to all.
Thank you very much to all the organizers, especially to the members and leaders of all the organizations for making this event possible. I am sincerely grateful that you invited me to be a part of this meaningful occasion.
I would love to personally participate in this concerted efforts of advocacy-centered groups and individuals to raise funds and support children—in this case, children of EJK victims. But as you all know, due to the political persecution against me by this Duterte regime, I cannot go myself.
Aaminin ko po: Nang matanggap ko ang inyong imbitasyon, nakadama ako ng panghihinayang. Kung patas lang ang rehimeng ito sa pagsusulong ng hustisya at pagtanggap ng kritisismo, siguradong makakasama ko kayo sa hapunang ito; lalo pa’t isang malaking bahagi ng aking mga adbokasiya ang katarungan at karapatang pantao.
Gayumpaman, natutuwa ako na may mga kasamahan tayo, gaya ninyong mga narito ngayon, na patuloy na naninindigan at kumikilos laban sa mapaniil, mapaghiganti at marahas na gobyerno. Kaya sa inyo pong lahat: maraming, maraming salamat po.
On occasions like this which promote the welfare and rights of children, I remember a 1996 documentary entitled “Minsan lang sila Bata” by director and producer Ditsi Carolino with the Ateneo Center for Social Policy and Public Affairs and Archdiocese of Manila Labor Center. It is about child labor in the Philippine provinces which depicts the tedious life of young children working in slaughterhouses, sugarcane fields, and ship docks to add to their family income.
Malawak ang naging pagtalakay ng dokumentaryong ito sa isyu ng child labor. Pero isang bahagi nito ang talagang tumatak sa akin, na maiuugnay ko sa nangyayari ngayon sa bansa. Ito po ang kalagayan ng mga batang nagtatrabaho sa mga katayan. Sa murang edad, naroon ang ilang kabataan sa delikadong lugar, nakakakita araw-araw ng mga taong may hawak ng kutsilyo, pang-kuryente ng mga hayop, ng pagpatay. Ano kayang naiisip ng mga batang ito na musmos pa lamang? Ano ang epekto nito sa kanilang paglaki?
Fast forward to 2016, wherein we have a new President who committted to bring change by murdering millions of drug addicts and promised to continue his relentless War on Drugs for the rest of his administration.
As of now, there are reports that 12,000 people have been killed, including the innocent children: 7-year-old Saniño Butucan of Cebu, 5-year-olds Danica May Garcia of Pangasinan and Francisco Manosca of Pasay City, and 4-year-old Althea Fhem Barbon of Negros Oriental.
With this disturbing death count, allow me to share with you an excerpt from an article of Candy Gourlay, a children’s book author, entitled: “What are we teaching our children during the war on drugs?”
Gourlay said:
“I’ve been watching recent developments in the Philippines with dismay. As a children’s [book] author, I wonder about the young readers of my books in my native country. What do they make of it all?
“When children see a President declare that people who suffer from drug addiction do not deserve to live, are they learning to disregard the humanity of people not like themselves?
“When they hear that more than thirty people are being shot dead every day, do they lose their ability to care about human life? Are they learning that murder is a better solution than the law to social ills?
“When their parents copy the behaviour of the trolls, what do they learn? When a female critic of the government is relentlessly bullied on social media with cruel taunting and a fake sex video, and when top government officials suggest that it’s okay to screen the sex video in Congress, what are our children learning? Are boys learning that it’s okay to abuse women?
“When they see people they admire – an elder, an author, a singer, a celebrity on TV, a politician, anyone – remain silent in the face of murder, bullying, lies and abuse… are they learning how to keep their mouths shut?
“When nobody offers any alternative to murder, are they learning how to despair?”
Gaya ng kasabihan: “Minsan lang sila bata.”
Sa “minsan” na ito, hahayaan ba natin ang mga bata ngayon, na mamuhay sa isang mapanganib na bansa—na parang normal na lang ang pagmumura, ang pagkakalat ng kasinungalingan, ang makakita ng walang tigil na karahasan, na okay lang ang mga patayan? Sa ganitong klase ng lipunan, anong pipigil sa ating kabataan para maging marahas din sa kanilang paglaki at idaan ang lahat sa paghihiganti?
Last July 31, three (3) experts from the United Nations, namely; Dr. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mr. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and Ms. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, called for immediate action on the growing reports of human rights violations, including murder, threats against indigenous peoples and the summary execution of children in the country.
According to the said report: “We are witnessing severe, multiple human rights violations, especially against indigenous peoples and human rights defenders… Children are not being spared and continue to be at high risk in a climate of prevailing violence.”
What is happening to our country which is known for its hospitable, religious and moral people? Ever since the new administration rose to power, Filipinos have become helplessly trapped in a quagmire of indecency, violence, and impunity.
Sa halip na isalba tayo ng gobyernong ito sa kumunoy ng kahihiyan, karahasan, at kawalang katarungan, lalo pa tayong pinalulubog sa mas kalunos-lunos na kalagayan ng mismong mga nasa kapangyarihan.
That is why even in detention, even as I continue to be persecuted by this evil regime, for as long as I live, I will continue fighting for what I believe is right.
Last Tuesday, I have filed Senate Resolution No. 455 urging the Executive Department, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to extend an invitation to Ms. Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to visit the country and look into the growing and reportedly worsening plight of persons displaced by the crisis in Marawi, which could continue and even worsen due to the extension of martial law in the whole of Mindanao until the end of 2017. The results of said visit could likewise aid in the enactment of remedial legislative measures.
Sa pinaiiral na karahasan ng gobyernong utak-pulbura at makitid ang pag-iisip, higit kaninuman, ang mga bata ang pinaka-biktima dito—mga batang naulila ng mga pinaslang na magulang, mga batang natigil sa pag-aaral dahil sa kaguluhan, mga batang lumalaki sa kultura ng kawalan ng pananagutan.
Hindi ko alam kung paanong nakakatulog pa ang mga pinunong pasimuno ng dahas. O kung paano nananatiling tahimik ang mga nasa posisyon, pinipiling magbulag-bulagan at magsunud-sunuran sa ngalan ng politika at pansariling agenda.
Ito ang hamon at panawagan sa ating lahat. Tayo pong nandito, mulat na sa katotohanan. Pero marami po tayong kababayan sa labas ng bulwagang ito na pikit-mata at walang kibo sa tunay na estado ng ating bansa.
Let us not allow ourselves to become complicit in this murderous War on Drugs. Let us not allow ourselves to become accomplices in the flagrant violation of human rights. Let us not allow ourselves to become helpless in the face of this state-sanctioned bloodshed.
It appears that this fight is bound to be a long fight. But I still have faith in the Filipino people. I am hopeful that we will not remain silent amid the daily killings and routine violations of our basic rights and fundamental freedoms.
Ituloy lang po natin ang laban na ito—ang laban para sa marangal at mapayapang kinabukasan para sa ating mga anak at ng kanilang mga anak.
Magandang gabi po. Konting paalala: Ingat na lang po sa mamantikang mga pagkain, at enjoy po kayo sa sayawan.
Maraming salamat po.