
Our country has lost Haydee Yorac, a patriot hailed for upholding the rule of law, competence and integrity in public service, and her unwavering support for human rights issues. Haydee Yorac, 64, former chairwoman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), sucumbed to cancer last September 12, 2005 in Chicago, Illinois. We express our profound grief over her untimely death.
Before the People Power Revolt of 1986 or EDSA I, Haydee Yorac was a full-time law professor at the University of the Philippines. After EDSA I, served the Commission on Elections for seven years and restored order and trust to an agency know for its corruption and inefficiency. From 1992-1993, she chaired the National Unification Commission and co-chaired the National Peace Forum from 1999 to 2000.
Haydee accepted the PCGG post in 2001. Under her leadership, the PCGG recovered some $684 million from Marcos�s Swiss bank accounts, $200 million of which will go to the human rights victims during the martial law years while the rest of the amount will go to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of the government.
An ardent admirer of human rights lawyers, Haydee herself actively supports human rights issues. She abhors human rights violations, be they perpetrated by the Right or Left of the political spectrum. Haydee Yorac not only strives to uphold the rule of law but promotes the universality of human rights.
Early this year, Haydee opted to resign from the PCGG to devote more time to recuperation and her private law practice.
We bid farewell to a colleague and a friend who has instilled in us, and demonstrated to the youth, the noble cause of fighting for truth, justice and freedom.
Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party