Amnesty International:
Act to end killings now Fears heightened
violence during polls
BY REINIR PADUA
THE London-based human rights group Amnesty
International (AI) yesterday said evidence confirming the
pattern of military involvement behind summary executions is "so
compelling and can no longer be ignored" that government should
now act decisively to end political killings.
The International Federation of Journalists
said the initial findings of a United Nations special rapporteur
should get the military started in investigating its own ranks,
while Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño Jr. dared
President Arroyo to issue a general order directing the Armed
Forces not to take part in or tolerate extra-judicial killings.
The statements followed the pronouncement of
Prof. Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, that political cases of
political killings are so distressingly high and the military
appeared to be responsible for a number of them.
RETIRED Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, blamed by
militants for the spate of political killings, yesterday said
the findings of separate investigations conducted by a United
Nations rapporteur and the Melo Commission were full of Leftist
propaganda.
In a phone patch interview, the former
commander of the Central Luzon-based 7th Infantry Division said
the Melo Commission could have been infiltrated by the "enemy."
"False, the Melo Commission report is totally
false. That is what I can say…They did not dig deeper into what
happened. Their output therefore is, I think, haoshao (fake) or
it is a re-echo, mostly just a re-echo of the enemy’s
propaganda," said Palparan.
DIRECTOR General Pascal Lamy of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday sought the cooperation of the
Philippines in moving the stalled negotiations for a fresh round
of trade liberalization.
Lamy told members of the Philippine Chamber
of Commerce and Industry that "the Philippines needs to help
move the process forward and help find the final balance."
Lamy said the WTO provides a global level
playing field for Philippine exports, making sure they enjoy
most-favored nation and national treatment without being
discriminated against.
