STATEMENT

Women Human Rights Defender Murdered in the Philippines

The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development mourn the loss of two brave women, human rights defenders. Concepcion ‘Connie’ Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo were among the 57 people murdered on November 23 in Maguindanao, Philippines. Connie and Cynthia joined several family members of Vice Mayor Ishmael Mangudadatu of Buluan and approximately 40 other people, including journalists, to the government Commission on Elections office in Maguindanao, in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). They were going to file Mangudadatu's candidacy for governor in the 2010 elections. It has been reported that 100 armed men stopped the group's convoy on a remote section of highway near the town of Ampatuan where they were abducted and brutally murdered. There is also evidence that some of the victims were sexual assaulted. (read more)

Take action for Women Human Rights Defenders murdered in Philippines  

The 29th of November is International Day for Women Human Rights Defenders. Please take 5 minutes this week to recognise the corageous and sometimes deadly work of Women Human Rights Defenders. Send a letter to President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines demanding justice for the murdered women Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo.

Send your letter to:

Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph

Copy the following emails of relevant officials and ministers:
chr.delima@yahoo.com, bluetree73@gmail.com, raulgonzalez,_doj@yahoo.com, rvpuno@dilg.gov.ph,

And add your local embassy email from the list

A sample letter:

Dear President Arroyo,

Re: Murder of women human rights defenders

I write to express my deep concern about the politically motivated slaughter of at least 57 people in Maguindanao on the 23rd of November 2009. Amongst the 57 massacred were journalists, women and two women human rights defenders – Concepcion ‘Connie’ Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo.

Their murders are the most recent in a history of extra-judicial executions that have occurred with impunity. Human rights defenders have been repeatedly threatened, attacked, disappeared and murdered in the Philippines. The murder of these brave women must not go unpunished.

Reports that state forces and personal militia of the governor, Governor Andal Ampatuan, are complicit in these murders suggest that the pre-existing culture of impunity sanctioned by your government has enabled this tragic outcome.

I therefore call on you to:

• Ensure all the perpetrators, including those who authorised the murders, are brought to justice;
• Immediately initiate an impartial investigation by an independent body
• Ensure the investigation is free from threats and intimidation and free to investigate security forces, police, government personnel and any links to the Governor’s office;
  
• Dismantle and disarm paramilitary forces being used as private armies by local warlords nationwide;
• Implement all structural reforms recommended by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions;
• Ensure independent election observers are given full access to monitor the upcoming elections;
• Re-commit to and adhere to the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

I would appreciate your early reply.

Sincerely,

Name