Manila (AsiaNews) – Hundreds of people from every walk of life marched through the capital yesterday, marking the World Day for Disappeared, to ask the Supreme Court to stand up, assert itself and save the whole nation from these very dangerous incidents which undermine public faith in the government”. Interfaith, human rights groups, social activists, Catholic priests, nuns, seminarians, lay people, imams and students were among the marchers.
Edita Burgos, who has had no news of the whereabouts of her son Jonas for over three months, says: “I am looking for my son, Jonas, kidnapped on April 28 by men in a car with a military licence plate. He was a member of the Philippine Peasants' Movement, but know one knows where he is”.
According to priests present at the march , “these abductions represent the biggest threat to human rights in the country. Something needs to be done”. Fr. Jerry Sabado underlines that “ our participation in the protest marches were in support for victims of forced disappearance, who are suffering without news of their loved ones”.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Council's Jan 2007 report, the Philippines ranks 10th-highest out of 79 countries with cases of disappearances reported to the U.N.'s Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances between 1980 and 2006. Iraq tops the list with 16,517 cases followed by Sri Lanka with 12,319 cases.
