Philippine Democracy Disappeared and the PPT Verdict

by Gill H Boehringer

It is appropriate to mark the International Day of the Disappeared this week, mindful of the many who are remembered around the world. If we think about the Philippine elections of May 2007 then we are necessarily drawn to consider the Filipino "disappeared" ("enforced disappearances" or ED) as well as those slain in what are called "extrajudicial killings"(EJK) and those lucky enough to survive (Attack Survivors (AS) often with dreadful injuries. The precise numbers in those three categories are not agreed but by my count they are about 1500 (about 885 dead and more than 200 abducted-though some data suggests 400 is closer to the mark- and about 350 attack survivors) in the period since 2001 of Mrs Arroyo's administration. There are nearly 1000 cases of torture, and according to a major data base (Karapatan) hundreds of thousands of human rights abuse.

Nor have the perpetrators been held responsible. In fact, although there are usually witnesses, few investigations have been carried out, fewer arrests and charges made, still fewer prosecutions and hardly a conviction achieved. Nevertheless, a number of inquiries-local and international-have determined that they are overwhelmingly attributable to state forces. Other "EJK", "ED" and "AS" actions have largely been committed by "private armed" forces of the wealthy and politically powerful in the provinces who wish to maintain their rapacious control over their semi-feudal domains.

These different forces have attacked and killed unarmed civilians. These are outrages against all moral and humanitarian law. Those targeted have been: agriculture workers on strike or trying to organize; trade union and social movement leaders and activists; environmental activists and rural people trying to protect their communities from predatory onslaughts by private interests trying to destroy the forests and to rip up the land for mining; fisherfolk and peasants who organize for protection of their livelihood against ruination in many forms; and leaders and activists of political organizations opposed to the local and national elites who are driving the neo-liberal agenda which has immiserated the general population. Also being targeted are the allies of the people, including Churchmen and women, journalists, educators and lawyers

In the election period alone there were about 120 "election-related" killings. Since the election, there continue to be EJK, ED and AS, all often accompanied by torture. Overwhelmingly, those subject to EJK, ED and AS have been people who opposed the Arroyo state-imposed policies of neo-liberalism and complicity with international globalist countries and institutions Estimated EJK in these categories (derived from a number of sources) is: 51 journalists (this must make the Philippines the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists); 35 lawyers and judges (I believe this may make the Philippines the most dangerous country for legal personnel); 30 Church officials (including one Bishop of the Filipino Independent Church, and pastors and laypersons-again this must put the country in the forefront of dangerous places for Church people); about 10 educators (teachers and academics)..

In these circumstances-I believe the May elections represent the "disappearance" of democracy in the Philippines.

The Verdict of the PPT (Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal)

The report of the PPT Second Session on the Philippines is a brilliant analysis, essentially a case study of what globalisation has meant for the overwhelming majority of the Filipino people. It is an holistic account of the ravages imposed on them by imperialist policies emanating from the USA and its alphabet soup of international weapons of "soft power". Indeed, in his opening speech Dr Tognoni, Secretary General of the PPT, gave as the reasons for taking up the case the following:

"The Filipino case is a model case on what is occurring in the world today with respect to the prevalence of the so-called economic "Low-Intensity Wars", conceptualized and practiced to substitute the old dictatorships...It.appears to us as a dramatic model case of the silence which exists in the world today. During the time of Marcos, at least everybody knew what was going on. The present situation of the Philippines is a successful case of silent repression is thus important to make this case visible...

It is a model case of globalization. Filipino people are spread out all over the world as migrants.

Yet they are not declared as migrants but as "moving workers", as part of a kind of a "natural economic law". Behind these labels, we see the exploitation of the more developed countries of the Filipino people’s situation of forced migration to strengthen their local economy, creating situations of discrimination."

Of course the Philippines had been before the PPT on a previous occasion 26 years ago. Then it " found the Marcos regime guilty of political suppression and abuse of power in violation of the rights of the Filipino people. The PPT also condemned the political, economic and military complicity with the United States and other foreign powers…Since 1980,… the socio-economic situation of the country has not changed, except for the worse. Even at that time, the jury of the Tribunal had denounced the unequal character of the economic system structured for the benefit of the domestic elite and foreign interests. It had also condemned the dominant economic and political role of the United States of America in the Philippines and in the region, through the implementation of an imperialist policy.

Today, almost 30 years later, or after almost one generation, the majority of the Filipino people (the peasants, fisherfolk, workers, oddjobbers, low-paid professionals) remain deprived of their basic rights to physical, social and cultural life."

The PPT considered the responsibility of the following defendants:"The Government of the Republic of the Philippines, and its President Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and The Government of the United States of America and its President Mr. George Walker Bush".

The Charges considered by the PPT were:

"Gross and systematic violations of civil and political rights; extra-judicial killings, abductions and disappearances, massacre,torture; Gross and systematic violation of economic, social and cultural rights;

Gross and systematic violations of the rights to national self-determination and liberation".

At the time this article was written, 5 Sept 2007 Mrs Arroyo was in Sydney for APEC. Two issues have arisen which it is important to consider in light of the findings of the PPT.

First, there has been a recent military pact signed between Australia and the RP which means that increasingly the two countries will be drawn together in dealing with the "war on terror" which Mrs Arroyo so enthusiastically signed up to in the aftermath of 9/11. Of course in the Philippines this largely means "war of terror" on Filipino people. Pressure needs to be put on the Australian government to link military aid of any sort to the demonstrated improvement of the appalling human rights record of the RP.

Second, Mrs Arroyo sees the "export" of Filipino workers as a great success story (naturally since their "remittances" continue to be one of the biggest sources of income in her budgets ). She is hoping to increase this "export trade" to APEC countries, especially we understand to Australia. While we should do what we can to assist Filipinos who end up in our communities overseas, we certainly should put pressure on our own government to link aid-and any changes in visa status- to the demonstrated improvement of the appalling record of human rights abuse which the PPT has so carefully considered and documented.

By way of putting the findings of the PPT into historical perspective and to emphasize the systemic nature of the tragedy which has been imposed on the Filipino people, we should remember that they are one more example of the rapacious nature of imperialism which was outlined by Marx and Engels a century and a half ago, and which has been demonstrated across the globe in the years since. Writing in the Communist Manifesto they said:

‘The bourgeoisie, historically has played a most revolutionary part…but in the process has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous "cash payment"….It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless, indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom- Free Trade. In one word, for exploitation veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation….All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses, his real conditions of life…

The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere "

In her book Empire of Capital, Ellen Meiksins Wood notes that today we are in the period of "endless war", in particular the vague and ambiguous "war on terror" which is used to assert and protect the dominance of capital underpinned by increasing militarisation. This seems especially relevant today as APEC meets in this city. Wood refers to the pacts, treaties and alliances which have emerged between the hegemonic USA and its satrapys- the small states such as Australia and the Philippines, which are being linked ever more tightly into a network of military and economic alliances. At the great cost to their people. 9

Dr Gill Boehringer teaches law at Macquarie University, Sydney