Led by the One Negros Ecumenical Council (ONE-C), over 300 participants from South and North Negros joined a caravan for human rights, converging through a protest procession in Bacolod City yesterday, a press release from the organizers said.
The South Negros delegates of the caravan met at Lupit Church, while the North delegates gathered at the Capitol Lagoon. Both camps converged at the Fountain of Justice and then marched through “five stations,” with each station discussing various human rights issues in Negros.
Kabataan Party-list representative Raoul Manuel was present and took the podium to advocate for the abolition of NTF-ELCAC, condemn the terrorist-tagging of progressive organizations, and call for the resumption of peace talks.
The event coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), reinforcing the commitment to uphold rights and freedoms despite escalating state attacks.
Negros Island has witnessed a surge in cases of extrajudicial killings, massacres, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests since the imposition of the “State of Emergency” through Memorandum Order 32 by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Simultaneously, land grabbing and displacement of rural communities persist, driven by agribusiness interests and infrastructure projects. The city government’s plans for coastal reclamation and public utility vehicle modernization further compound the challenges faced by local communities.*
