European Parliament members seek due process, fair trial for 10 rights advocates

Photo from the website of the European Parliament

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have urged the Philippine government to give due process and fair trial to 10 human rights defenders from Karapatan, Gabriela, and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines who are facing trial for perjury.

In a letter addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ., Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and Commission on Human Rights Chair Richard Paat Palpal-Latoc, the MEPs reminded the government of the European parliament’s resolution addressing human rights violations in the country.

“We urgently demand that the authorities of the Philippines ensure that the constitutionally and internationally enshrined standards regarding due process and fair trial are respected for the ten human rights defenders and members of Karapatan, Gabriela, and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines. This entails refraining from criminalizing those who peacefully and legitimately defend human rights in the country, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,” the MEPs wrote.

Signatories of the letter include European Parliament members Miguel Urbán Crespo, Malin Björk, Jose Gusmão, Stelios Kouloglou, Marisa Matias, Hannah Neumann, and Idoia Villanueva.

The case against the 10 rights advocates happened after the three organizations sought writs of amparo in 2019 before the Supreme Court as Malacañang and the military tagged them as terrorists.

READ: Three more groups seek writs of amparo

The Rural Missionaries of the Philippines allegedly lied under oath for saying that it is a registered non-government organization when their Securities and Exchange Commission certificate had been revoked – leading to the filing of a perjury case against the human rights defenders.

“We have learned that in early January 2023, a verdict will be handed down in a perjury case against the ten above-mentioned human rights defenders, for which they could face more than two years of imprisonment,” notes the MEPs in their letter.

They then reiterated that they wrote the letter in recognition of the roles of human rights advocates in upholding democracy and the rule of law while “taking into account the commitment that the international community, including the [European Union], has assumed to protect human rights defenders around the world.”

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