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PRESIDENT Duterte’s election campaign slogan “change is coming” raised the hopes of Filipinos that under his presidency their lives would improve. People imagined basic socio-economic rights that have long been denied to them such as three meals a day, decent housing, regularization for contractuals, and work for the unemployed and underemployed. They looked forward to the building of peace by bringing justice to our communities and people.
Though small improvements and changes have been felt in recent months, mainly what the people have experienced are promises and rhetoric. The people still long for a better delivery of basic services, streamlined access to government offices, peace-building and to development that upholds the dignity and respects the rights of people.
Disturbingly, the discourse of human rights has become unnecessarily controversial now. Rather than hearing the true concern of Filipino citizens, the government becomes defensive as people assert their rights. When people express disagreement and demand accountability on the escalating drug-related, extrajudicial killings due to the so-called “war on drugs”, the truth of how many have been killed and denied of their right to due process is met with steely indifference by our nation’s highest elected leader. Meanwhile police officers allegedly involved in drug syndicates have been given every support to defend themselves. Even more, cops alleged to have committed drug-related extrajudicial killings have been presented as if they are beyond criticism and above the law.
Human rights are not freely given to us; we must fight for them. Victims of human rights violations and their families must thus bravely speak of the abuses and atrocities committed against them and their loved ones. Silence is not the answer. We must speak out if we want to make sure that the rights of people are not violated.
The rights of the people – socio-economic, civil and political – must be respected. No amount of berating or belittling on their importance changes the fact that people’s basic rights are non-negotiable. Genuine peace can only be made possible by affording justice to those who have been denied such. Peace and human rights are inseparable. A just and lasting peace is only possible when human rights issues are properly addressed.
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