A HUMAN rights group has urged the government to investigate the abduction of activists who have been missing for more than 17 years, citing the need for the state to protect human rights defenders.
“We demand that the Philippine government take immediate action to bring those responsible to justice and provide closure to the families of the victims,” Pamilya ng Desaparacidos para sa Katarungan, which represents victims of enforced disappearances, said in statement on Monday.
The group cited the case of 11 activists who have been missing since 2006, saying the government had not done enough to uphold human rights and international law.
“The lack of progress in the investigation and the absence of accountability for these disappearances perpetuate a culture of impunity, undermining the rule of law and eroding public trust,” Desaparecidos said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez