News

Hands Off Bicol People’s Lawyer Atty. Bart Rayco!

At approximately 6:00 a.m. today, staff at Jollikod, a local eatery in Legazpi City owned by the family of Atty. Bartolome “Bart” Rayco, discovered two bullets ominously left at the entrance. The bullets were bound with black ribbons, one tethered to a piece of stone wrapped in paper and plastic. The paper contained a threatening message that read: “Atty. Bart Rayco MALAPIT KA NA!!” (Atty. Bart Rayco, your end is near!!!). Earlier, witnesses reported seeing unidentified men on a motorcycle stop outside the premises at around 4:00 a.m.

| Aug 28, 2026

Jul 2026 3

Six Years of State Terror: Repeal the Terror Laws

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Railroaded through the legislature during a pandemic lockdown and over the broadest constitutional opposition in our history, Republic Act No. 11479, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA), was always an instrument of state repression. When the law faced thirty-seven constitutional petitions before the Supreme Court, including our own, we warned that this legislation was designed to target activists, human rights defenders, journalists, humanitarian workers, and marginalized communities. Six years of draconian enforcement have vindicated our warnings, case by fabricated case, freeze order by arbitrary freeze order.

Jun 2026 29

Showing Jovito Palparan to Families of Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan Not Enough to Disprove Special Privileges Accorded by Bureau of Corrections to Convicted Human Rights Violator

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Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño, mothers of abducted University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, conducted a personal verification of retired Major General Jovito Palparan’s detention at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) last June 25, 2026. The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) had no choice but to allow the request of the private complainants after much public outcry following reports and official court records pointing to Palparan’s transfer in Baguio City despite his 2018 conviction for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Sherlyn and Karen.

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