Bayan Muna: Panel tasked to probe political killings is just a 'facelift'

Bayan Muna-7 secretary general Paul Rodriguez said that President Arroyo's creation of an investigation panel to look into the political and media killings is just a "facelift to save her face from the shameful comments of Amnesty International."

In an August 14 report, Amnesty International stated that, "the growing number of political killings in the Philippines puts the possibility of the spiraling of retaliation." Also, the agency is concerned that the government's declaration of an "all-out war against the New People's Army" would pave way for further killings and the crumbling of peace process, as most of those who were being killed were labeled leftists or those against the government.

Rodriguez, in a radio interview yesterday, questioned Arroyo's creation of an investigating panel just now when the total number of victims of these political killings in the country since 2001 had already reached 740.

Implicated in the issue is Major. Gen. Jovito Palparan blamed for the 500 cases of killings, disappearances and other violations against cause-oriented group members in Eastern Visayas and Mindoro. Bayan Muna questioned why Palparan has continued to receive promotions.

Rodriguez added that if Arroyo wants to solve these political killings in ten weeks, then she should have worked hard for the prosecution of the person responsible for all of these.

He suggested it would be much better to include in the panel a member of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. He said that for the commission to meet deadline in ten weeks, members of credible observers or human rights groups should handle the investigation rather than those appointed by Arroyo.

Arroyo during yesterday's commemoration of the 23rd death anniversary of former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, whom she referred to as the greatest victim of political killing in the country, announced of the creation of said commission that would conduct an investigation and have the power to send to jail the perpetrators of political and media killings. - Flor Z. Perolina