Press Statement | Arrest of Palparan an indictment of the AFP hierarchy—Karapatan

publicinfo: Aug 21 11:20AM +0800  Press Statement August 21, 2014 Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, +63917-3162831 Angge Santos, Media Liaison, +63918-9790580 Arrest of Palparan an indictment of the AFP hierarchy—Karapatan <http://www.karapatan.org/Arrest+of+Palparan+an+indictment+of+the+AFP+hierarchy>      Not contended with the exaggerated security measures, the call for transfer to military custody or additional deployment of military in the jail to secure him, a group in the military under the “Free Jovito Palparan Movement” now says they are ready to ‘take the bullet for Palparan’.   “This mutual admiration among high officials in the military and Palparan is not surprising because the arrest of Palparan is an indictment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and all that it stands for—impunity, human rights violations, protection of big business and the landlords,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.   “The military can take the bullet for Palparan but why can’t they face the public? Because they are not protecting democracy as they would want the public to believe. It’s about protecting the interests of the landlords, the big business, and the government bureaucrats, including the plunderers and killing all those who oppose their greed,” she added. Palabay challenged the men and women in the AFP to show their love for democracy “by taking the side of the people, especially the poor peasants and workers who are deprived of lands, decent jobs and wages, housing, and education. Let the Años, the Catapangs defend Palparan and his breed in the AFP. Let them take the bullet for Palparan against the people they are sworn to protect. Let them face the people’s wrath and in jail, they rot.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC INFORMATION DESKpublicinfo@karapatan.org <publicinfo@karapatan.org> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg., #1Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101 Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146  Web:http://www.karapatan.org KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.