Statement on the Recent Extra-Judicial Killings in the Philippines
For more than the last half century we, the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), have prayed and moved together with the Philippines Church to improve human rights and realize democracy in the Philippines society. Amid concern for the worsening human rights situation since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, we received sad news that consecutively on August 10 and 17 Philippines human rights and peace activists, Randall Echanis and Zara Alvarez, were brutally killed by the state’s death squad. First of all, we deeply mourn their deaths and hope that God’s comfort will be with the bereaved families. We also express our deep anger, together with the all peace-loving people in the Philippines, over the anti-human rights behavior of the Philippines government which has neglected justice and instead promoted the forces of death. In particular, the NCCK and Korean civil society invited Ms. Zara Alvarez to Korea to hold a Philippines Human Rights Conference, and since then we had cooperated with her on various matters.
The people of Asia have witnessed numerous dictators coming to tragic ends after having maintained their unjust power in collusion with the forces of death by suppressing the dignity and freedom of their people. In response, we sternly protest against the tyranny of the Duterte regime, which commits illegal acts against innocent citizens and does not hesitate to kidnap or murder them. In addition, while urging the Philippines government to be faithful to the most important duty of the state, namely to protect the lives and security of the people, we demand as follows:
1. The Philippines government should immediately stop all kinds of human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings, torture, kidnapping and disappearance, and abide by all international norms related to human rights.
2. The Philippines government should implement fact-finding, responsible punishment and reparations for all victims of the extrajudicial killings, including the cases of Mr. Randall Echanis and Ms. Zara Alvarez.
3. The Philippines government should come up with legal and institutional mechanisms that will substantially guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association.
4. The Republic of Korea government, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, should support the resolution to form an independent Commission of Inquiry into the human rights situation in the Philippines at the upcoming Council meeting in September this year.
5. The international society should not neglect the Philippines government’s human rights abuses and come up with measures to improve the human rights situation through the United Nations.
August 20, 2020
Lee Hong Jung
General Secretary
