Retired Judge Paredes, SDK, NASUKHU condemn ‘state sponsored’ killings

PAREDES

RETIRED Judge Meinrado Paredes representing the Samahang Demokratiko at Kaakbay (SDK) joined the Nagpakabanang Sugbuanon alang sa Kinabuhi ug Hustisya (NASUKHU) in condemning the recent spate of killings that he claimed were allegedly state sponsored.

“These killings are perpetuated by state actors who are agents of the government and who receive support from up there in Malacañang. They are not scared because they know they will never be apprehended,” Paredes said.

In line with the commemoration of Ninoy Aquino’s death, whom Paredes used as a symbol of a victim of state sponsored killings, NASUKHU released a manifesto condemning the recent killings in Cebu in relation to the war on drugs.

NASUKHU hopes to send the manifesto to Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

“We call on the local governments to launch an independent investigation on the spate of killings and ensure that those involved are held accountable,” the manifesto stated.

At least 49 non-government organizations (NGOs), human rights coalitions, people organizations, cause oriented groups, and concerned citizens joined together to form NASUKHU including the SDK, Movement Against Tyranny, and Gabriela Women’s Party.

Lawyer Vincent Isles of Tindig Pilipinas said that each organization had stayed true to their own principles all the while uniting in the advocacy to stop the spate of killings in the city and province.

Paredes encouraged the people to read and keep newspapers in order to document the various drug-related injustices that Cebu had been facing including extrajudicial killings which could be used as documentary evidence in finding justice for those who died in the war on drugs.

“I plead to the media to never think that every life taken by the fake war on drugs is not newsworthy. We noticed that there is a decline in the coverage on the war on drugs,”said Isles in Cebuano.

NASUKHU has prepared a series of activities such as fora and dialogues to further advocate the fight against extrajudicial killings.

A public forum will be held on Thursday at the University of San Carlos main campus followed by an indignation march to the PRO 7 where NASUKHU will present the manifesto to Sinas. /USJ-R Journalism Intern Delta Dyrecka Letigio