Zarate v. Aquino III

Last updated
Zarate v. Aquino
Seal of the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines.svg
Court Supreme Court of the Philippines
Full case nameCarlos Isagani T. Zarate v. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III
DecidedNovember 15, 2015 (2015-11-15)

Zarate v. Aquino was a court case revolving around red-tagging, an act discrediting the validity of a political opponent by accusing the opponent as communist, leading to murders and attacks. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

In March 2014, the government strengthened military power in Davao City, causing 1,300 Manobos to evacuate Davao City, In January 2015, however, some of the Manobos went back to Davao City, (specifically UCCP Haran), some of the Manobos stated that "they were forced to join rallies and prayers against their own will", stating that "their fears intensified when they saw a lifeless body hanging in a tree, belonging to the Manobos". On May 12, 2015, 7 Manobos filed a complaint against the defendants. [3] [1]

Decision

The Manobos claimed that the defendants had "ties with the New People's Army", stating that their appearance in the lists are "threats to their life" warranting the safety of the Writ of amparo. After the court researched the defendants and the petitioners, the court dismissed the petition, stating that "The writ of amparo is a "remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity." The petitioners' statements were that "143 members of the political party Bayan Muna were victims of killings during the Arroyo administration, and that 12 members and leaders of Bayan Muna have been killed under the Aquino administration. [3]

Related Research Articles

Habeas corpus is a recourse in law by which a report can be made to a court in the events of unlawful detention or imprisonment, requesting that the court order the person's custodian to bring the prisoner to court, to determine whether their detention is lawful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagong Alyansang Makabayan</span> Left-wing alliance of Philippine organizations

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or Bayan is an alliance of left-wing Philippine organizations. It was founded on International Workers' Day, May 1, 1985 as part of the opposition during the Marcos dictatorship.

A writ of coram nobis is a legal order allowing a court to correct its original judgment upon discovery of a fundamental error that did not appear in the records of the original judgment's proceedings and that would have prevented the judgment from being pronounced. The term coram nobis is Latin for "before us" and the meaning of its full form, quae coram nobis resident, is "which [things] remain in our presence". The writ of coram nobis originated in the courts of common law in the English legal system during the sixteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of the Philippines</span> Highest court in the Philippines

The Supreme Court (Filipino: Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the Korte Suprema, is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on June 11, 1901 through the enactment of its Act No. 136, an Act which abolished the Real Audiencia de Manila, the predecessor of the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arakan, Cotabato</span> Municipality in Cotabato, Philippines

Arakan, officially the Municipality of Arakan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 50,558 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumad</span> Group of Austronesian indigenous people

The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous peoples in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad, the autonym officially adopted by the delegates of the Lumad Mindanao Peoples Federation (LMPF) founding assembly on 26 June 1986 at the Guadalupe Formation Center, Balindog, Kidapawan, Cotabato. Usage of the term was accepted in Philippine jurisprudence when President Corazon Aquino signed into law Republic Act 6734, where the word was used in Art. XIII sec. 8(2) to distinguish Lumad ethnic communities from the islands of Mindanao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reynato Puno</span> Filipino judge (born 1940)

Reynato Serrano Puno, KGCR is a Filipino jurist. He served as the 22nd chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from December 8, 2007, by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo until his mandatory retirement on May 17, 2010. Puno had initially been appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice on June 28, 1993.

People's Initiative is a common appellative in the Philippines that refers to either a mode for constitutional amendment provided by the 1987 Philippine Constitution or to the act of pushing an initiative allowed by the Philippine Initiative and Referendum Act of 1987. The appellative also refers to the product of either of those initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satur Ocampo</span> Filipino politician, activist, journalist and writer

Saturnino "Satur" Cunanan Ocampo is a Filipino politician, activist, journalist, and writer.

Joel G. Virador was a Filipino human rights advocate, activist, and politician who was partylist representative for Bayan Muna in the 12th and 13th Congresses of the Philippines.

In the Philippines, amparo and habeas data are prerogative writs to supplement the inefficacy of the writ of habeas corpus. Amparo means 'protection,' while habeas data is 'access to information.' Both writs were conceived to solve the extensive Philippine extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines</span> Illegal executions in the Philippines

Extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines are illegal executions – unlawful or felonious killings – and forced disappearances in the Philippines. These are forms of extrajudicial punishment, and include extrajudicial executions, summary executions, arbitrary arrest and detentions, and failed prosecutions due to political activities of leading political, trade union members, dissident or social figures, left-wing political parties, non-governmental organizations, political journalists, outspoken clergy, anti-mining activists, agricultural reform activists, members of organizations that are alleged as allied or legal fronts of the communist movement or claimed supporters of the NPA and its political wing, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Other frequent targets are ancestral land rights defenders, Indigenous rights activists, environmentalists, and human rights workers.

In most legal systems of the Spanish-speaking world, the writ of amparo is a remedy for the protection of constitutional rights, found in certain jurisdictions. The amparo remedy or action is an effective and inexpensive instrument for the protection of individual rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neri Colmenares</span> Filipino human rights lawyer and activist

Neri Javier Colmenares is a Filipino legislator, human rights lawyer and activist. He was an associate of the Asian Law Centre at Melbourne Law School when he was completing his Ph.D. in law on "The Writ of Amparo and the International Criminal Court." He also lectured at the University of Melbourne on International Human Rights Law and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan is a coalition of twelve party-lists in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It was founded on April 16, 2009. The founding assembly was held at UP Theatre, Diliman, Quezon City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proclamation No. 216</span> 2017 Philippine proclamation of martial law on Mindanao (ended 2019)

Proclamation No. 216 was the 2017 proclamation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao amid clashes between government forces and Maute group terrorists in Marawi, issued by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on May 23, 2017. The state of martial law was extended thrice by Congress at the request of Duterte, citing necessity to quell hostile activities perpetrated by terrorist groups, and ended with the third extension lapsing on December 31, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMNI News Channel</span> Television channel

SMNI News Channel, known on-air as SMNI News, is a Philippine far-right religious free-to-air news and public service television network based in Makati. It is owned and operated by Swara Sug Media Corporation, the parent company of Sonshine Media Network International, a broadcasting arm of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) led by Filipino televangelist and religious leader, Apollo Quiboloy.

In the Philippines, red-tagging is the labeling of individuals or organizations as communists, subversives, or terrorists, regardless of their actual political beliefs or affiliations. It is a type of harassment and has pernicious effects on its targets. Red-tagging has been practiced by security forces, government officials or shills.

Zara Alvarez was a Filipina human rights advocate, educator, paralegal, and prominent social activist who predominantly campaigned against human rights violations during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte. She was well known for her active campaign to protect human rights in the Philippines, which became a matter of concern during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. During her career as a human rights activist, she was often a prime target of political mafia and reported to have received numerous death threats due to her active campaigns against human rights violations. On 17 August 2020, she was assassinated by unknown gunmen. According to human rights groups, her murder suggested a serious major crackdown against human rights activists and civilians in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Booc</span> Filipino activist (1995–2022)

Chad Errol Ramirez Booc was a Filipino volunteer Lumad teacher. He was known as an activist vocal on-ground and in social media.

References

  1. 1 2 "AN ACT DEFINING AND PENALIZING RED-TAGGING" (PDF). legacy.senate.gov. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  2. Bautista, Jane (2024-05-09). "Red-tagging a threat to life and liberty – SC". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  3. 1 2 "Zarate v. Aquino" (PDF). lawphil.net. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2024.