Congressmen push for anti-enforced disappearance bill (Philippines)

[struggle4progress]

Source: GMANews.TV

BY JOHANNA CAMILLE SISANTE
12/10/2008 | 03:38 PM

MANILA, Philippines - To mark the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), lawmakers on Wednesday pushed for the immediate passage of a bill that seeks to make enforced disappearance a crime.

In a press conference, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of House Bill No. 326 or the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2008, said it is lamentable that enforced disappearance and torture incidents in the country continue even though the Philippines was among the first to sign the UDHR in Dec. 10, 1948.

"We still suffer the continuing commission of enforced disappearances as well as the immunity being enjoyed by the perpetrators of this global offense," said Lagman.

Lagman is the honorary chairperson of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), and the brother of political activist Hermon Lagman who disappeared during the Martial Law era and labor leader Filemon "Popoy" Lagman who was assassinated in 2001 ...

Read more: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138601/Congressmen-push-for-anti-enforced-disappearance-bill