Restrictions on the freedom of movement and harassment against Ms. Maza
PHL002 / 0815 / OBS 063
Harassment /
Restriction of freedom of movement
Philippines / USA
August 6, 2015
The Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) requests your urgent intervention in the followingsituation in The Philippines / United States of America.
Description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the restrictions on thefreedom of movement and harassment against Ms. Liza Largoza Maza, Chairperson of the International Women’sAlliance and former representative of Gabriela Women’s Party.
According to the information received, onJuly 9, 2015, at 11.15 a.m., Ms. Maza was barred from travelling to the US fromManila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Ms. Maza had been invited to theInternational People’s Tribunal to give an expert testimony on how two recentbilateral security agreements between the US and the Philippines would violatethe sovereignty of the Philippines as well as the Filipino population’s rights.
As she wasabout to board the plane, Ms. Laza was refused access. The airline ground stafftold her that it was due to an email from the Customs and Border Protection ofthe US Department of Homeland Security. When she asked for a printed copy ofthe email, the airline ground supervisor refused, saying that it could not bedisseminated to third parties.
Ms. Lazawent to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration to ask for an explanation and wastold that, as far as they were concerned, her travel papers were in order andshe was allowed to travel. She was then told to take her documents to the USEmbassy for evaluation. Ms. Maza has a valid 10-year US visa and has travelledregularly to the US.
TheObservatory strongly condemns the restrictions on Ms. Liza Largoza Maza’sfreedom of movement and fears that she may be targeted because of herlegitimate human rights activities.
TheObservatory urges the US and the Philippine authorities to open aninvestigation into the above-mentioned events and to refrain from furtherrestricting Ms. Maza’s right to freedom of movement.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in the US and the Philippines, urgingthem to:
- Conduct a proper, impartial, and independent investigation into theabove-mentioned events in order to determine whether Ms. Maza was barredfrom travelling due to her legitimate human rights activities;
- Put an end to allforms of harassment, including restrictions on freedom of movement,against Ms. Liza Largoza Maza and all human rights defenders in thePhilippines;
- Comply with all the provisionsof the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted bythe General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especiallyregarding the following Articles:
- Article 1: “everyone hasthe right, individually and in association with others, to promote and tostrive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamentalfreedoms at the national and international levels”;
- Article 5(a): “For thepurpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms,everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at thenational and international levels (...) To meet or assemble peacefully”
- Article 12.1:“everyonehas the right, individually and in association with others, to participate inpeaceful activities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms”;
- Article 12.2: “the Stateshall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competentauthorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, againstany violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adversediscrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of hisor her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the presentDeclaration;
- Ensure in allcircumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by the Philippines.
Addresses:
Authorities from the United States
· H.E. Barack H. Obama, President ofthe United States of America, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,Washington, DC 20500, White House Number: (202) 456-1111. E-mail:president@whitehouse.gov
· Hon. John F. Kerry, Secretary ofState, United States of America, 7th Floor, Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 CStreet NW, Washington, DC. Tel: (202)-647-9572. Fax: (202) 6472283. Email, via website:http://contactus.state.gov/cgibin/state.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php
· Hon. Jeh Charles Johnson, Secretary,Department of Homeland Security, United States of America, Washington, D.C.20528. Tel: (202)-282-8000. Email, via website:http://www.dhs.gov/online-forms-and-email
· Hon. R. Gil Kerlikowske,Commissioner, US Customs and Border Protection, United States of America, 1300Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20229. Tel:(202)-325-8000. Email, via website: http://www.cbp.gov/contact/cbp-hq
· Hon.Philip S. Goldberg, Ambassador, Embassy of the United States of America to thePhilippines, 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila,Philippines. Tel: (02) 301 2000. Email, via website:http://manila.usembassy.gov/contact.html
Authorities from the Philippines
· H.E. Benigno S. AquinoIII, President of the Republic of the Philippines, New Executive Building,Malacañang Palace, JP Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila 1005, Philippines. Fax:+63 2 736 1010, Tel: +63 2 735 6201 / 564 1451 to 80; Email: corres@op.gov.ph /opnet@ops.gov.ph / op@president.gov.ph;
· Hon. Alberto delRosario, Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines, 2330 RoxasBoulevard, Pasay City, Philippines. Phone:(+632)834-7374. Fax:(+632)832-1597.Email: osec@dfa.gov.ph
· Hon. Jose Luis MartinGascon, Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights, SAAC Bldg., UP Complex,Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Tel: (+632) 928-5655,(+632) 926-6188. Fax: (+632) 929 0102. E-mail: comsec@chr.gov.ph
· Hon. Vicente"Tito" Castelo Sotto III, Senate President, Office of the Senate,Office of the Senate Secretary, Hon. Emma L. Reyes, 6th flr. Senateof the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Tel: +63 2 552-6601 loc. 6129/23& 24 / +63 2 552-6676, Email: osec@senate.gov.ph
· Hon.Leila de Lima, Secretary, Department of Justice (DOJ), DOJ Bldg., Padre Faura,Ermita, Manila 1000, Fax: +632 523 9548, Email: lmdelima@doj.gov.ph /lmdelima.doj@gmail.com
· Hon.Jose Midas Marquez, Court Administrator, Supreme Court of the Philippines, 3rd Flr., New Supreme Court Bldg., Annex, PadreFaura St., Ermita 1000, Manila, Tel: +63 2 522 590 to 94, Fax: +63 2 526 8129,Email: pio@supremecourt.gov.ph / sc.judiciary@gov.ph;
· PoliceDirector General Alan LA Madrid Purisima, Chief, Philippine National Police, CampGeneral Rafael Crame, Quezon City, Philippines, Fax: +63 2 724 8763/ +63 2 7230401, Tel: + 63 2 726 4361/4366/8763, Email: feedback@pnp.gov.ph;
· Hon.Emilio Gonzalez, Deputy Ombusdman, Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for theMilitary And other Law Enforcement Offices, 3rd Flr., Ombudsman Bldg., Agham Road,Diliman, 1004 Quezon City, Fax: +63 2 926 8747, Tel: +63 2 926 9032;
· H.E. Mr. Evan P. Garcia, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Philippines to theUnited Nations in Geneva, 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 716 19 32, Email: geneva.pm@dfa.gov.ph;
· Embassyof the Philippines in Brussels, 297 Avenue Moliere, 1050 Brussels, Belgium,Tel: +32 2 340 33 77 / 2 340 33 78, Fax: +32 2 345 64 25.
Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of the Philippines inyour respective country.