Pinoy priest gets Dutch human rights award for work with EJK victims' kin

A Filipino priest who is supporting families of victims of extrajudicial killings received this year's Human Rights Tulip award from the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, a priest from the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), received the award in recognition of his work as co-founder of PAGHILOM program, according to the Embassy of the Netherlands in the Philippines.

The PAGHILOM program is a Church-based support group that works with families of victims of extrajudicial killings that allow them to find a “safe space” to cope with grief and connect with others who share their experiences, the embassy said.

The program is also a vital component of the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center, a foundation that was also founded by Villanueva in 2016.

Villanueva is the first Filipino to be honored with the award, the embassy said. He dedicated it to the memory of victims of extrajudicial killings.

The Human Rights Tulip is an annual award of the Dutch government to support human rights defenders in their work advancing and protecting human rights around the world, while highlighting related issues.

According to the embassy, from over 74 candidates from around the world, only 10 were shortlisted, including Villanueva. —Richa Noriega/KBK, GMA News