A Southern Luzon-wide network of civil society organizations working
for the promotion and protection of human rights was launched in Cavite.
Some 300 representatives of basic sectors from labor, urban poor,
farmers, fisherfolks, women, youth, transport workers, church and anti mining
advocates, gathered Wednesday at the historic Casa Hacienda popularly known as
the Tejeros Convention Center in Rosario Cavite, to launch the Mamamayang
Nagkakaisa sa Laban ng Bayan para sa Karapatan or Manlaban Ka.
Made part of the launching program is a forum on charter change and
human rights with constitutionalist Christian Monsod and former Representative
Erin Tanada as guest speakers. Representatives of the CHR also graced the
occasion.
The formal launching of Manlaban Ka ended up with the ratification
of the group’s Unity Statement and a brief discussion on the network's ways forward such as conducting grassroots education,
database building on cases of HRVs, operational structures and ways
forward. (see attached unity statement)
The formal launching was followed by a march of
the participants to the Cavite economic zone in support of the strikebound
workers of Dong Seung, a garments factory. During the past several months, a
series of labor disputes around the freedom of association and working
conditions have rocked the Cavite ecozone, the country's biggest
publicly-managed zone.
Ecozones particularly in the provinces of Cavite,
Laguna and Batangas employ tens of thousands of workers. Regrettably it is also
in these economic havens of foreign investors in the country where rampant
violations of human and labor rights go unchecked and the violators go unpunished.
The launching of Manlaban Ka is the final outcome of a five-month
process of consultations and focus group discussions among the basic sectors
and civil society organizations working for the promotion and defence of human
rights in the Southen Luzon region. This partnership building initiatives among
the CSOs is in cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) under its
Governance in Justice or Go Just program.
The Southern Luzon process was facilitated by Kalipunan ng Kilusang
Masa, with Partido Manggagawa (PM) and Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong
Manggagawa (Sentro) as lead organizations.
Prior to this launching, consultation meetings were held in Calamba
City last April 7-9, 2018 where participants discussed the state of human
rights in their respective areas and sectors. Resource speakers were invited in
this process to give inputs on the many aspects and forms of human rights issues,
including the many cases of extrajudicial killings in the southern Luzon region
due to the ongoing war on drugs as well as violations of the economic, social and
cultural rights of our workers, farmers, urban poor, women; and the destruction
of many communities due to mining and land-grabbing activities.
Representatives from Bicol, Mimaropa, and the Calabarzon areas have
actively participated in the previous process leading to their decision to form
this loose but highly coordinative network of organizations willing to work
together for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Part of Manlaban Ka Unity Statement declared:
“NANININDIGAN ang MANLABAN KA na ang mga karapatang pantao at
demokrasya kung saan maraming aspeto nito ay hindi pa namin ganap na
natatamasa, ay nararapat lamang na ipagtanggol at ipaglaban sa halip na isuko
sa harap ng sinumang kapangyarihan na may hayagan at tagong layunin na ito’y
pahinain o kaya ay ganap na patayin.
KUNG GAYUN, at mula sa mga batayang nabanggit, kami’y
nangangahas at ngayon ay ipinapaalam sa lahat, na kaming mga sektor at
indibidwal na nabibilang sa koalisyong ito, ay nakahanda nang MANLABAN sa
ibat-ibang paraan katulad ng pagmumulat, pag-oorganisa, pagpapalawak at mga
direktang pagkilos para ipagtanggol ang karapatan at demokrasya ng buong sambayanan.”
PRESS RELEASE
Manlaban Ka
30 May 2018
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