MANILA — An organization of women rights defenders scored President Benigno S. Aquino III for the continuing human rights violations against women.

Citing data from the human rights alliance Karapatan, Tanggol Bayi said 18 women were victims of extrajudicial killings while 23 women were arrested and detained under the Aquino administration. They are among the 34 women political prisoners who languish in jails because of trumped up criminal charges, according to Tanggol Bayi.

“The BS Aquino administration should be held accountable for these attacks against women human rights defenders,” Cristina Palabay, convener of Tanggol Bayi and Karapatan secretary general, said.

On Nov. 28, on the eve of the International Day of Women Human Rights Defenders, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on all states “to publicly condemn violence against women human rights defenders, amend legislation that hinders them and give activists free access to UN bodies.”

In 2005, the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition, a coalition of 28 organizations from different countries declared Nov. 29 as the International Day of Women Human Rights Defenders.

Tanggol Bayi paid tribute to Juvy Capion and Cristina Jose. Both were human rights defenders who were killed under the Aquino administration.

Juvy and her two sons were killed on October 18, 2012 when elements of the 27th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army strafed the hut where they were staying in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur. Juvy was a known leader of Kalgad, a local group of B’laan tribe opposed to SMI-Xstrata’s Tampakan gold-copper project. Cristina Jose was a leader of survivors of typhoon Pablo who was gunned down on March 4 this year at Baganga bridge, Davao Oriental. Before her death, Jose was vilified by the 67th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army as councilor of the revolutionary group New People’s Army (NPA).