An Open Letter to the President of the

Philippines: Mr. Benigno "Noynoy"

Aquino III
Dear Mr. President,
As the gentle breeze of the bamboo nose fute
reaches you, we raise our plight to your attention as we
anticipate your report during your 5th annual State of the
Nation Address on Monday, July 2, 2!"#$
We commend you for embar%ing on the campaign to cleanse
the go&ernment of corruption and gearing go&ernance towards 'tuwid na
daan( )straight path* which we fully support in our humble means$ +e %now
that this campaign could outli&e the presidential term ,ust as it outli&ed our
husbands, friends and neighbors who were %illed for bringing these issues to
the fore in the time of the Arroyo administration$ -et we also belie&e that
these e.orts as well as the li&es of our lo&ed ones shall not be in &ain$
We recall your promise in 2!"! to end the impunity on e/tra,udicial
and ,ournalist %illings and deli&er ,ustice to the families of the &ictims which
has gi&en new hope to many people to rise abo&e the fear and terror that the
%illings ha&e caused to our society$
We %now that our 0uest for truth, ,ustice and healing faces historical
and structural challenges that are not easy to transcend$ +itnesses,
ad&ocates, family members and we oursel&es continue to face threats to our
li&es and our health$
But we do not stop calling for an end to the culture of impunity and
,oining e.orts to bring forth a culture of accountability e&en as we are
stri&ing to transform our tragic e/periences to endea&ors for healing and
growth for oursel&es and our country$
We do not forget that those who arbitrarily depri&ed the right to life
of our lo&ed ones and the system that perpetuates it also further
compromised our children(s right to family, to education, to safety and
protection, to health and happiness, attempting to push us to the pits of
misery and su.ering$
We choose not to be reduced to meaningless numbers but resol&e to
mo&e on with forgi&eness, lo&ing%indness and peace$ +e also face
challenges in this ,ourney and we count on your full support and wish our
support to you as well$
We cherish this moment that we can wor% together towards
understanding, peace and healing of our people and our land$
Sincerely,
Florence Macagne-Manegdeg Myrna
Parangan-e!lando

"asiyana Peace
and #ealing
Initiati$es.
Widow of Jose Pepe
Manegdeg III,
Human Rights
Defender, EJK Vitim
!o"em#er $%, $&&'
Windo%s for
Peace and
#ealing.
Widow of (ong
Re#)ando Journa)ist,
*mpatuan Massare
Vitim
!o"em#er $+, $&&,
1asiyana 2eace and 3ealing 4nitiati&es
25"6 Sagada, Mountain 2ro&ince, 7ordillera Administrati&e 8egion,
23494224N:S
%asiyana""";gmail$com
<5=6665"#5#=6><5252#"!26