Human Rights Watch not impressed by PNoy's 2012 State of the Nation Address (SONA)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called out the recently-concluded State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Philippine President Benigno Simeon "BS" Aquino III for its lack of any mention of the plight of victims of alleged human rights violations perpetrated by state security forces in the Philippines. Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director, in a brief statement lamented how Aquino "did not utter one word during his 90 minute speech about the many victims of abuses by these forces". Furthermore...

Human Rights Watch has been calling on Aquino to communicate clearly to state security forces that his administration will hold accountable those who violate human rights. Members and officers of the military and the police have been implicated in large numbers of extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances. Since Aquino took office in 2010, not one perpetrator has been successfully prosecuted even as the abuses continue.

This follows an even earlier statement released by Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director for HRW...

“President Aquino has not lived up to his promises to bring those responsible for serious abuses to justice,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Concrete measures – rather than more promises – are needed now.”

Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto, and Washington. HRW produces research reports on violations of international human rights norms as set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what it perceives to be other internationally accepted human rights norms. These reports are used as the basis for drawing international attention to abuses and pressuring governments and international organizations to reform.

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