IUSY strongly condemns the outright disregard for justice and human rights by the administration of the President of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. IUSY also expresses deep concerns that the President has chosen to serve his own whims and the fancies of the few, over the good of his citizens and humanity as a whole. Among his worrying actions are:

 

Ever since President Duterte came into power in July 2016, unspeakable Humanitarian crimes- under the guise of a“War on Drugs”- have been committed. As of 18 December 2016, a total of 6173 Extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte policy have taken place, with the latest casualty being a 5-year old child of a rehabilitated drug user.

 

In 14 December 2016, he was quoted as saying “I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble also. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.” This admission of murder led to several Philippine Senators’ call for the President’s impeachment. However, Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre defended the President saying the comments were meant as “hyperbole” and thus dismissed the Criminal admission.

 

Duterte has also paved the way for the impending reinstatement of the Death Penalty in the Philippines, mooted to including barbaric methods such as public hanging and firing squad. This is coupled with a pronouncement of the age of criminality to be lowered from 15 to 9 years old.

 

Duterte has also drawn criticism for allowing ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in Manila’s Heroes’ Cemetery in 18 November of this 2016. This was explained as a way for the country to finally heal after the horrors of Marcos-declared Martial Law era. The dictator’s remains were flown in from Ilocos Norte using the Armed Forces’ cargo plane, the burial done stealthily, and was given full military honors.

 

Duterte offered Presidential pardon to the impeached former President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo, effectively dismissing all pending corruption cases against. He has also refused to investigate police officials who were ruled by National Bureau of Investigation as having caused the murder of incarcerated Mayor Espinosa. Such abuse of power to cover up or absolve serious criminals and fellow abusers of power is despicable.

 

Duterte has launched a personal vendetta against former Chief Justice, Senator Leila De Lima, stripping her of the role as the Senate Committee Chair on Justice, the very committee holding senate inquiries on Duterte linked extra judicial killings and the Davao Death Squad. The President’s also threatened the Senator with a congressional viewing of a sex tape purportedly featuring her.

 

Duterte has recently barred the elected Vice President Leni Robredo from attending all Cabinet meetings for being critical of his decisions. This led Robredo to resign from her Cabinet post as Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

 

These and other acts are a far cry from the mandate given to him by the Filipino people as President. We urge President Duterte to listen to the Filipino people, stop the senseless killings, respect the rule of law and democratic institutions.

 

We also strongly call for The President to refrain from using his power to vilify and silence his critics. IUSY likewise urges President Duterte to heed the advice of the United Nations and cease all acts which undermine justice and human rights of the very people who have elected him.

 

IUSY calls on the Filipino people to remain united in the face of the current political dark age brought on by Duterte’s presidency.

IUSY urges the Filipinos to choose life over death, justice and due process over instant gratification, The dignity of humanity over one person.

 

We call on our fellow youth to serve as the beacons of truth in this trying time. We, the presidium of IUSY, are at one with your struggle for peace and security.

IUSY shows its deepest concern about the unfolding political situation the Republic of the Gambia. IUSY condemns the dramatic change of heart by the incumbent President Yayah Jammeh who has announced that he no longer accepts the national election results. He dully conceded defeat on December 2, 2016 to opposition coalition leader Adama Barrow. The people of the Gambia rejected the rule of Jammeh in the election that were held on December 1, 2016. Jammeh is popularly known for his undemocratic conduct as he attacked his political opponents and curtailed fundamental freedoms. The authoritarian rule of Jammeh started when he assumed power 22 years ago, through a military coup.

The sudden turn of events by Jammeh refusing to accept the election results makes democracy a mockery and cannot be tolerated. It is an attack on democracy and the will of the people to elect their own leaders. The people of the Gambia have spoken loud and clear by choosing their preferred candidate. IUSY and all democracy loving people of the world expect a smooth transfer of power to the new President elect Barrow.

IUSY calls for the people of the Gambia to remain united in this turbulent period as they find an amicable solution to the political impasse caused by Jammeh. Young people and democrats must stand in solidarity with the Gambian people at this dark moment.

IUSY calls upon on the international bodies, the ECOWAS, African Union, and the UN security council to stop the action of Jammeh and allow the President elect to assume office as mandated by the people. The UN security Council must respond immediately before there is blood shed in the Gambia. Let democracy and justice prevail in the Gambia.

The elections on December 11th provide the people of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.Macedonia) with the possibility of a new start, and the unification of all democratic forces. And foremost, it offers the people of F.Y.R.O.Macedonia the possibility to choose the direction for the future of their country.

Free and fair elections are the cornerstones of robust democratic states. These principles are not negotiable and must be respected by all political forces. Ensuring clean electoral lists, and preventing manipulation of the electorate must have absolute priority in order to secure not only transparency and accountability, but most of all legitimacy. It is crucial that citizens are presented with a variety of meaningful options from which they can choose what kind of lives and systems they consider to be the most desirable for their very own community. This means, free and open competition between different parties. Considering that the latest European Commission report on the F.Y.R.O. Macedonia mention the increasing risk of “state capture” and expresses serious concerns regarding civil liberties, it is crucial that these elections are conducted in a free and fair way so that the country can get back on democratic track and take action in order to give a more positive outlook for the next report .

Vivid discussions focussing on the political content and ideological differences do not only allow all people to enjoy their fundamental rights, such as the freedom of speech, freedom of association and assembly, and freedom of the press, it is also a tool which fosters deeper political participation and paves the way for the emancipation of both individuals and groups. We call on all the candidates to use their opportunities and participate in public debates, thus providing enough information, so that the public can make an informed choice.

The people of F.Y.R.O.Macedonia have lived in a polarized society for many years and they deserve to once and for all enjoy their fundamental rights and democracy. Everything else is not giving them the adequate respect they deserve.

As young people, who are not only living today, but who will also bear the consequences of today’s decisions in the future, we call upon all parties and all other relevant institutions and organisations to collectively ensure that all citizens can practice the democracy they are entitled to through the constitution.

EFAy- European Free Alliance Youth

FYEG- Federation of Young European Greens

IFLRY- International Federation of Liberal Youth

IUSY- International Union of Socialist Youth

JEF- Young European Federalists

LYMEC- European Liberal Youth

YDE- Young Democrats for Europe

YES- Young European Socialists

IUSY will be taking an initiative to start up a Young Global Parliamentarian Network.

Date: 17 October

Time: 09.30-13.30

The aim of the network is to gather local, national and regional parliamentarians to meet and discuss common challenges both policy wise and how to strengthen each other to become more influential as young parliamentarians.

The launching of the Network will take place during the upcoming Progressive Alliance Meeting, which is organised in cooperation with the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament (S&D).

IUSY will be able to cover accommodation (2 people in each room) during the PA event. The other costs will be covered by each person/organization.

We kindly ask you to forward this to all of your young parliamentarians.

For more information on the whole schedule and the registration for the Progressive Alliance Meeting, please check here REGISTRATION, Technical Details and PROGRAM. 

Deadline for registration is set for 20 September. 

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us in case on any inquiries.

IUSY Secretariat

iusy@iusy.org