Fervent wishes for 2018 –Democrito C. Barcenas

WITH the advent of the New Year, I share with the millions of Filipinos these twelve fervent wishes for the year 2018: 1. Peace not only in Mindanao but also in the entire country;

2. Jobs for the jobless and affordability of the basic necessities of life like food, shelter, clothing and education; 3.Justice for all prisoners of conscience like Sen. Leila de Lima;

4. Justice for the more than 14,000 victims of the bloody war on drugs;

5. Reduction, if not total elimination of extra-judicial killings and summary executions;

6. Government’s adherence to the rule of law and due process in its drive to solve the drug problem;

7. Uncompromising respect for human rights especially the right to life as mandated by the Constitution and our international commitments;

8. An end to the culture of impunity;

9. An end to the public’s apathy and indifference in the face of mounting carnage of suspected drug users and pushers;

10. Prosecution and punishment of all those responsible for the mass murder of poor victims;

11. Popular resistance against a nationwide imposition of martial law, and threats of declaring a revolutionary government;

12. Rejection by the people of the Constituent Assembly’s blitzkrieg move for charter change to adopt federalism without any serious debates on the merits and demerits of the proposed constitutional revisions.