Human rights groups to UN: Arroyo repackaging herself as pitiful victim

It is the height of irony that Ms. Arroyo is now complaining over violations of her civil and political rights, when she enjoys the most special treatment of detained persons under the Aquino administration.

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat.com

MANILA Groups of human rights advocates and peoples lawyers wrote to the United Nations saying that former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is repackaging herself as the pitiful victim, in light of a bid to get her out of detention.

British lawyer Amal Alamuddin-Clooney, wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney reportedly filed the complaint before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN WGAD) about the violations of Arroyos rights as a detainee. So far, only Arroyos camp has confirmed this report. The British lawyer has yet to issue a statement.

The National Union of Peoples Lawyers, through its secretary general Edre Olalia, sent a letter to Vladimir Tochilovsky, chair rapporteur of the UN WGAD, expressing grave concern over Arroyos bid to be released.

At the obvious behest of her local lawyers, Mrs. Arroyos running to the UN WGAD is essentially repackaging a violator of human rights into a pitiful victim, Olalia said.

Cristina Palabay, secretary general of the Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights (Karapatan), in her groups letter to the UN WGAD, said: It is truly ironic that Ms. Arroyo would speak of civil and political rights, when her administration is considered as among the most repressive regimes in the Philippines.

Under Arroyos nine year presidency, Karapatan has documented 1,206 victims of extrajudicial killing, 206 victims of enforced disappearances, some 2,000 cases of illegal arrests. Tens of thousands were forcibly evacuated and displaced due to militarization in communities.

The Arroyo administration has violated every single article of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Palabay said.

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Human rights groups to UN: Arroyo repackaging herself as pitiful victim