It is concerning that the celebration of the National Human Rights Consciousness Week (4-10 December 2020) ended with a string of arrests of journalist and trade unionists on the International Human Rights Day, Thursday, 10 December.

The arrested individuals—Lady Ann Salem, Dennise Velasco, Mark Ryan Cruz, Romina Raiselle Astudillo, Jaymie Gregorio, Joel Demate, and Rodrigo Esparago—were all arrested citing illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Such arrests are cause for concern given that there were statements by families and concerned personalities alleging irregularities and errors in the said operations, including the fact that arrests were made in the midsts of red tagging of activists and human rights workers.

To recall, earlier this December, human rights groups also questioned the alleged gun battle between officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and said National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultants Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay, despite being sickly and elderly. The couple Topacio and Magpantay died after allegedly resisted arrest and exchanged fire when served with warrants.

It would be then for the government’s benefit, particularly the PNP, to address these doubts and allegations of anomalous arrests, especially that several pronouncements were already made by this administration—here and abroad—on its commitment to respect and protect the human rights of all. These commitments need to be translated to actual reforms, including effectiveness of redress mechanisms in addressing similar allegations and different human rights violations. For if these pledges will remain as words, then we would not only fail the human rights cause, but this would also render hollow the government’s primary assertions that it will abide by its obligation to uphold the rights of all. ###