My Human Rights Week Celebrations

When I was a volunteer HR worker in Task Force Detainees of the Philippines-EV (TFDP-EV) during my college years, December 3 to 10 were days for Human Rights Week Celebration that gave me inspiring and hopeful memories. There were times that we celebrated Christmas Day in jail with political prisoners and Human Rights victims and their relatives. We exchange gifts (with their handcrafted novelties). We sung We danced. We shared meals and drinks.

Inspired by the late Jose Diokno, who once said that Human Rights is more than legal concepts, it is the essence of man. Deny them you deny man's humanity,courageously with my fellow HR volunteers went to critical areas, penetrated to and squeezed by the families of HR victims to gather information and documentations cloaked from Military and intelligence bases.

It was until such time that my poverty forced me to join the marketplace to sell my knowledge and skills for my survival. I worked in Multinational Company.



December 3 to 10, 2005, were days that remind me of the same events that we used to do (with other HR Advocates). By that time however, I am the prisoner and the victim.

As my case against Neptali Gonzales, Jr. (Mandaluyong City Mayor), et al. goes through the legal process, my offenders continue their political harassment against me.

Last December 7, 2005 in the afternoon our booth was videocorded by Mandaluyong City Task Force Ordinance (TFO) personnel without my permission, few minutes after which PNP officers and TFO personnel (around 15 men) attacked me. Pulled me out of our booth, one kicked me to get in their vehicle, one handcuffed me and they started to beat me with their alternate punches on my head, face and body as I watch our booth demolished by other personnel.

They stole my evidences against those who attacked me last October 22, 2005 and other documentary evidences that will give proof to their continues harassment, abuse of authority and gross ignorance of the law. I demanded for them, but Tito Enriquez with other personnel and Police passed my evidences secretly.

Some PNP officers transferred me to their service vehicle and while boarding, heading towards the City Hall, brutal PNP officers mauled me inside their car with their tactical invectives against me.

They brought me in TFO office, they were not satisfied still, they boxed me until I dropped to my knees.

I was imprisoned by 4 pm accused of Alarm and Scandal, Grave Threat and Illegal possession of Deadly Weapon. These are lies for they show more than 20 knives and they are more or less 20 police officers and task force members.

In Mandaluyong City Jail we were nearly 30 prisoners, majority are not convicted yet, but convicted or not we are all still Human. We were treated inhumanely and degrading.All are sleeping on the floor other are sitting for there is no more place to liedown. With from time to time (exact time unknown),we all were called to formation for head count.

One PNP officer asked “Ano, idedemanda mo pa ba si Mayor?”. Intimidating and insinuating!

I was released by around 6 pm, December 8, 2005 few hours after my Preliminary investigation and Prosecutor's dismissal of the charges against me.

Why Gozales and his men practice brutality and Human Rights violation during this week?

The following day, I went to Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City to follow up the status of my complaints against them and to report and complain what I have experienced in the hands of these abusive people who are supposed to serve and protect.

Secretary Quisumbing was not there celebrating the “Week”. I talked with a certain Rhea.. Unfortunately according to her, they did not receive my Complaint letters. She referred me to Investigation Section.

Inside the CHR Investigation Section, I told my case summary and the brutality and imprisonment incidents to Investigator Abong. He refused to investigate and ordered me instead to investigate by myself who are these Policemen and Personnel. What happened was very traumatic and risky but he insisted me to investigate.

CHR was “inutiled by” Abong. I am on the wrong agency. It is for the protection of Human Rights violators.

I asked Senator Nene Pimentel for possible assistance (to ask for the issuance of writ of amparo and for my protection and prosecution of the offenders) but all I got is lip service. Nothing happened.

December 3, 2008, the my HR week is started with supposed legal battle against Arellano University. I waited in the Labour Arbiter's office for more than two hours. Arellano University and Mr. Francisco Paulino Cayco's legal representative did not show up to our hearing to defend themselves from Illegal Dismissal charge by me.

Marking the 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner noted that it is still widely accepted. "But much more still needs to be done to make every citizen aware of the impact of this declaration, so that its full potential as an empowerment tool for human rights defenders and promoters of human security around the globe will be enforced."

And I share to that view (much more still needs to be done..) but with emphasis to specific responsible sector---and that is the Government. Every state government should initiate to do much more not only for the promotion of human security but human dignity with respect to Human Rights in pursuit of freedom and justice.

Human Security without human rights as I could imagine is like living in a prison cell.