Vancouver, B.C.
Human rights campaigner speaks on extrajudicial killings
By Ted Alcuitas
Fresh from a successful campaign before the U.S. Congress, Ellecer Carlos will be in Vancouver on Saturday, July 29 to report back on the pubic hearing.
The spokesman for the Philippine coalition In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement Coalition of the Philippines will speak about the extrajudicial killings, martial law and the rise of authoritarianism.
The forum organized by the Global Pinoy Diaspora, Canada will be at the Coquitlan Public Library, Rm. 127 from 1:30 to 3:30 PM.
The library is located at 1169 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam and is a blok away from the Lincoln Skytrain Staion.
Carlos, who recently completed a speaking tour in various cities testified before the U. S. Congress on July 20 regarding the extra-judicial killings happening in the Philippines. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also testified before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
“We have 40 to 50 killings every day of the most impoverished, beaten down individuals in Philippine society,” Carlos told the committee.
The U.S. Congress is launching an investigation into alleged human rights abuses committed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in pursuit of his anti-drug campaign, according to the statement issued by the U.S. Filipinos for Good Governance, Inc.
The July 20th hearing was held at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives, a bipartisan body. It will discuss a bill seeking to restrict the export of certain defense articles by the U.S. to the Philippine National Police should the “extra-judicial killings” continue.
The bill was filed by Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, a Democrat, and Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.
“This legislation is clear in its support for the Filipino people…but also the consequences if Mr. Duterte’s actions continue,” said Cardin, a ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee.
The proposed Cardin-Rubio bill, “Philippines Human Rights Accountability and Counternarcotics Act of 2017,” notes that “since the election of President Rodrigo Duterte in June of 2016 there has been a relentless campaign of violence against alleged drug offenders, where more than 7,000 people have been killed,” says the statement.
For more information about the forum please contact Treenee Lopez at 604-773-9192.
I congratulate the organizers of this forum.Our kababayan’ s in the Philippines critically need the support of their overseas kababayan’ s and friends overseas to overthrow a psychopath president and his government and to make them acvount for their human rights violations. I wish you and our people the bests.