20 September 2017
PRESS RELEASE
CHR unveils Diokno Memorial; calls for the defense of human rights
Quezon City—On 21 September 2017, Thursday, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will commemorate the triumph against dictatorship and the affirmation of freedom, democracy, and human rights through the unveiling of the Ka Pepe Diokno Memorial at the grounds of CHR’s Offices in Quezon City.
“Ka Pepe was a legal luminary who worked relentlessly to build an active resistance of citizens that was necessary to make the anti-dictatorship movement emerge and ultimately triumph,” said CHR Chairperson Chito Gascon.
In 2016, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) entered into an agreement to create a memorial statue in honor of the late Senator Jose “Ka Pepe” Wright Diokno. The renowned Filipina sculptor Julie Lluch was commissioned by the NHCP through the NCCA to create the said monument.
As Ka Pepe is considered to be one of the pioneers of the CHR as he headed its predecessor Presidential Committee on Human Rights in 1986, the Commission is privileged to receive the statue from the Diokno Family and to mount it on its Office grounds.
“It is but fitting to honor the work that Ka Pepe and other human rights activists have done in defending our human rights and democracy on Thursday. Ka Pepe remains an inspiration and a source of light for us to press on in these dark times for human rights,” Chairperson Gascon added.
Ka Pepe established the Free Legal Assistance Group immediately after his release in 1974 to provide legal assistance to victims of human rights violations during the martial rule.
Day of mass support for human rights
Civil society organizations (CSO) have also expressed support to the CHR regarding its pending Congressional budget cut, and condemnation of human rights violations such as the ongoing extrajudicial killings, and an extended Martial Law in Mindanao, among others.
The Commission offers its Office grounds as safe space for individuals and groups who wanted to launch peaceful assemblies.
“We invite everyone to join us as we look back in our history and as we remember the life of Ka Pepe and his contribution to this country’s fight for democracy,” Chairperson Gascon stated. ###
Contact Person:
Atty. Jacqueline Ann C. de Guia
Director, Public Affairs and Strategic Communication Office
Telephone No: (02) 928-5792 / 0977 284 0787
Email address: comms.chr@gmail.com