Vice President Leni Robredo (Photo from her Facebook account)
The celebration of Human Rights Day should serve as a challenge for Filipinos to be steadfast in their resolve against human rights violations, particularly extrajudicial killings and attacks on right to free speech, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Saturday.
Robredo, in her message to commemorate the 69th anniversary of Human Rights, stressed that Filipinos should not only take the occasion to remember the country’s struggle to uphold human rights, but also to live up to it.
The Vice President underscored the importance of recognizing and respecting the dignity, freedom and the rights of every Filipino, saying that this is reflected in the country’s 1987 Constitution.
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“Hinahamon ng kasalukuyang panahon ang bawat isa sa atin na paigtingin ang paninindigan para sa karapatang pantao, sa harap ng pinagdaanan ng Pilipino nitong nakalipas na taon,” Robredo said.
(The present situation challenges each and every one of us to intensify our stance for human rights, with what Filipinos are facing the past year.)
“Kasama na rito ang mga extrajudicial killings; ang pagsupil sa karapatang magpahayag, pati na sa social media; at ang kahirapan na patuloy na pumipilay sa milyun-milyon nating mga kababayan,” she said.
(Included here are the extrajudicial killings; suppression on our freedom to express, which include social media; and poverty that continues to cripple millions of our fellow citizen.)
The continuing struggle against rights abuses, she said, has been a pivotal part not only for the Philippines, but also for the whole world.
“Sinasalamin ng ating Saligang Batas ang karangalang ito, kung saan itinakda ang pagrespeto, pagtatanggol, at pagtupad sa mga karapatang ito,” Robredo said.
(Our Constitution reflects this honor that establishes to respect, defend and implement human rights.)
“Nawa’y maging pagkakataon ang ating pagdiriwang ngayon ng Araw ng Karapatang Pantao para muling paigtingin ang ating determinasyon na maging isang lipunan na tunay na kinikilala at isinasabuhay ang paggalang sa dignidad, kalayaan, at karapatan ng bawat Pilipino,” she said.
(I hope our commemoration of Human Rights Day will spark our determination to become a society that really recognizes and live up to respect the dignity, freedom and rights of every Filipino.) /jpv