Press Statement                                                                                                     Reference: Marie Hilao-Enriquez
12 February 2004                                                                                                  Secretary General 

KARAPATAN to GMA on the current Peace Talks: 

"Walk the Talk!" 

KARAPATAN, the Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights welcomes the resumption of the formal Peace Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). However, the human rights watchdog declared that this development is a test of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's sincerity to the Filipino people. 

"After suspending the talks in June, 2001, we are glad that both panels are back to the negotiating table." KARAPATAN, Secretary General Marie Hilao-Enriquez said. Enriquez is nominated as an Observer to the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) that was supposed to be implemented after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHR-IHL) in 1998 under former President Joseph Estrada. The JMC implementation is an important and urgent part of the current peace talks agenda. 

The rights leader though expressed caution as to the timing the peace talks is being staged at the same time the campaign elections started. KARAPATAN knows only too well GMA's record in keeping her promises. 

"Despite her coming out with a release order for the release of more than a hundred political prisoners in 2001, 22 remains in jail and are still awaiting the implementation of that directive," Enriquez maintained. "Likewise, more than 10,000 Martial Law Human Rights victims are yet to be served justice and indemnified with her delaying tactics to enact HB 4535 and SB 1877 into a law." 

"We have had it with her lipservice and gimmicks to earn the people's trust, we demand this time that the present negotiations be a serious attempt in serving the people's interest." Enriquez demanded. 

KARAPATAN requires that for the President to prove her sincerity to the holding of the Peace Talks, she walks the talk and implement the following: 

•  Release all political prisoners

•  Stop militarization in the countryside

•  Stop attacks on legitimate people's organizations and the labeling of terrorists on mass leaders 

•  Punish all human rights violators including prominent violators such as Col. Jovito Palparan, Jr., Lt. Oscar Lactao, etc.

• Implement CARHRIHL and put up the Joint Monitoring Committee

•  Indemnify human rights violation victims of Martial Law

•  And STOP ALL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS! 

"It should despicable that the Peace Talks be used as a venue to earn people's votes for May, 2004. The Filipino people are not pawns to be played upon, they deserve respect for their human rights." Enriquez concluded. ###