Rights group denies seeking funding from donors, insists rights violations in anti-drug war documented

AS human rights lawyers, we take strong exception to an item in the column of Mr. Yen Makabenta (“America faces deadliest drug crisis in its history. Why is the world not butting in?”, Manila Times, October 31, 2017) where he said: “What the opposition relies more on now is the noise that can be readily provided by human rights groups, that seek mainly to raise funds from donors.” This is a sweeping and unfair statement against all human rights groups.

We must emphasize that our human rights group, Artikulo Tres Human Rights Alliance, Inc. (Artikulo Tres), does not receive funds from donors, either local or foreign, for our advocacy. We carry on the tradition of human rights advocacy which began during martial law under the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. (MABINI). It is an advocacy that has continued under several administrations after the 1986 EDSA Revolution. And so, through Artikulo Tres, we signed a memorandum of agreement with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to assist the latter by providing free legal services and counseling in cases involving human rights violations, and undertaking collaborative work in the advancement of human rights through research, education and information campaigns. Even prior to the signing of the memorandum of agreement with the CHR, we have been assisting them in the investigation of cases involving human rights violations and have filed cases connected thereto including a petition for writ of amparo that is currently pending with the Court of Appeals. That human rights groups are more vocal now merely attests to the grave situation of human rights in our country under the present administration.