Human rights violations claim 37,000 victims
From the time Macapagal-Arroyo took over on January 22, 2001, until July 15, there have been 1,334 cases of human rights violations claiming 37,164 victims nationwide. Out of this number, 148 are victims of salvaging and assassination, 55 were massacred and 14 were abducted by the military and remain missing to date. Various forms of violations such as frustrated murder, indiscriminate firing, bombing, illegal arrests, torture, illegal searches, destruction and denial of access to property, forcible evacuation, food blockades, massive dislocation, denial of medical attention and others are also rampant.
One-hundred twenty-five cases of human rights violations against leaders and members of Bayan Muna have been documented, involving 2,581 victims. Twenty-two Bayan Muna community leaders have been killed while three are massacre victims. Other leaders were able to survive the murder tries while four remain missing.
There are 86 cases involving killings of activists and suspected NPA sympathizers, claiming 148 victims. This is worse than the Estrada regime�s record where 59 similar cases were documented in its 18 months in power.
In Basilan, up to 3,169 have been victimized by human rights violations since the intensification of the anti-Abu Sayyaf campaign. Ten of them were salvaged, six were killed, 42 tortured, 126 arbitrarily arrested while one remains missing.
Meanwhile, four women and six children have been jailed to force their relatives who are suspected Abu Sayyaf members, to surrender. They are now illegally imprisoned at the Basilan Provincial Jail and Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig, Metro Manila. More than 100 other suspected Abu Sayyaf members are jailed in the two camps.
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