A Presbyterian-supported justice organization has condemned the murder of 57 people on Nov. 23, calling it “a grim testimony to the pervading culture of impunity and lack of respect for human rights in the Philippines.”
The slain victims, including women and journalists, were discovered in a shallow grave in Maguindanao province in southern Philippines. Two were members of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao, a partner organization of Kairos, the Toronto-based ecumenical justice organization.
In a public statement, Kairos criticized ongoing political killings despite the work of a stopthekillings.org campaign launched in Canada in 2007, and a call to action from the UN. The group urged the Canadian government to call on Filipino authorities “to ensure that human rights are upheld.”
The killings are believed to be a recent addition to the country’s election-related death toll. About 130 people were killed during the 2007 polls.
In the wake of the massacre, the Filipino government, headed by President Gloria Macapagal, has cracked down on the powerful Ampatuan family, whose supporters are suspected of carrying out the murders. – C.P. with files from Kairos and Reuters
