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.
Alston also said the military "remains in a
state of almost total denial" over the killings.
The report of the Palace-created Melo
Commission was also released the other day. It said retired Maj.
Gen. Jovito Palparan and some of his superiors may be held
liable for failing to prevent, punish, or condemn the killing of
activists by soldiers under the principle of command
responsibility.
Amnesty International said government and all
political parties and groups should "act decisively" to put a
stop to the killings.
"The election period will be fraught with its
own tensions. It is essential that the manifestos of all
political parties commit to working strenuously to put an end to
the ongoing killings and so minimize the risk of a further
escalation of violence during the polls," said Natalie Hill,
deputy Asia Pacific Director for AI.
Hill said most of the victims of
extra-judicial killings "were not even members of armed groups,
even though they may have sympathized with their ideology."
She said it is important that individuals
should be able to affiliate with the political party or group of
their choice "and not be subject to politically motivated
violence as a result."
AI said one major obstacle in stopping the
killings is the lack of an effective witness protection program.
"Witnesses are afraid to come forward to
report killings because of threats and intimidation. The
government must ensure effective witness protection for all
those involved in court proceedings, including victims and their
relatives," Hill said.
AI group earlier criticized government for
the increase in the number of killings, saying this could result
in a "spiral of violence" with communist rebels mounting
retaliatory attacks.
AI also criticized the reported plan to
appoint Palparan to a government post after his retirement.
‘DARK UNDERBELLY’
Christopher Warren, president of the
International Federation of Journalists, it is time for the
Armed Forces "to fully investigate and expunge its dark
underbelly."
The group said it is working with the
National Union of Journalists "to stem the tragic waste of life
among the media community in that country."
It said it supports Alston’s findings.
"We agree with Profession Alston that not
enough has been done to prevent and solve these murder cases. We
agree with Alston that the AFP have been derelict in their duty
to investigate allegations that their members have been
responsible for some of these killings," Warren said.
Rep. Teodoro Casiño Jr. (Bayan Muna), in a
press conference, said there should be a "categorical order from
the commander in chief" to abate the increasing number of cases
of political killings.
DECISIVE ACTION
Based on the tally of human rights group
Karapatan, more than 800 Left-leaning activists have been killed
since Arroyo assumed power in 2001.
"The ball is now in Malacañang. It has to act
decisively on the recommendations of both (Melo Commission and
Alston)… (Arroyo has to) release a general order for the AFP not
to take part in or tolerate the killings… A press statement is
not enough," Casiño said.
A number of Bayan Muna members have been
victims of political killings.
Rep. Satur Ocampo, also of Bayan Muna, said:
"President Arroyo has two choices: To side with the killers, or
to take concrete steps to stop further killings and start the
healing process."
Lawyer Neri Javier Colmenares, general
counsel and third nominee of Bayan Muna, said it is Arroyo’s
responsibility to suspend and hold liable military and police
officials in all areas under their command where the killings
occurred.
HEADS SHOULD ROLL
Bayan Muna demanded the resignation of AFP
chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and national security adviser
Norberto Gonzales.
"Heads should definitely roll for the total
breakdown of law and order and the slaughter of innocents. It is
now the best time to let go of Esperon and Gonzales who are at
the forefront of attacks against activists, party-list groups
and legal organizations," said Ocampo.
Malacañang said despite the findings of
Alston and the Melo Commission, Filipinos in general continue to
have faith in the military.
President Arroyo vowed to immediately resolve
the issue "with fairness and justice, and to uphold the good
name of the 99 percent of the soldiery who take the cudgels for
our national security 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said no one
could doubt the professionalism and integrity of the Armed
Forces and the soldiers’ readiness to sacrifice their lives.
Jesuit priest Romeo Intengan, co-founder of
the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas with Gonzales,
said "the military should not be made the whipping boy for the
killings."
NO DIRECT EVIDENCE
Intengan said both the Alston and Melo panel
findings were incomplete and inconclusive, noting the Melo
report even said there was no direct evidence, only
circumstantial evidence, linking the military to the killings.
He also noted Alston stressed that the
extrajudicial killings were not part of government policy.
"Several rogue soldiers do not mean that the
entire military establishment is rotten. What is important, and
which should not be overlooked, is that the Armed Forces remains
loyal to the Constitution and its leaders continue to uphold the
rule of law," he said.
He said steps should be taken to prevent
extra-judicial killings.
For instance, he said, the military could step up its
intelligence gathering to identify and apprehend and prosecute
its "erring members who may have had a hand in some of the
killings," while the police and NBI must improve and strengthen
their forensic capability for faster investigation and
appreciation of evidence. – With Czeriza Valencia and
Jocelyn Montemayor