12 militants’ slay solved — task force

The police task force created to solve the spate of killings of activists and journalists claimed yesterday to have solved 12 cases, with the filing of charges against the suspects.

Task Force Usig chief Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said they have substantially met the 10-week deadline imposed on the Philippine National Police by President Arroyo to solve at least 10 of the high-profile killings.

Razon, however, admitted the developments could not be considered beyond expectations.

"Kailangan pa naming magtrabaho (We have to work harder)," he said.

"As we assess the progress of our investigation, we found out that a total of 12 cases have been referred to the courts," Razon said. "Seven suspects in three different cases have been arrested."

This developed as a labor lawyer was shot dead by a lone gunman in Cubao, Quezon City yesterday.

Police identified the slain lawyer as Rodrigo Paglinawan, legal counsel of Nagkaisang Samahan ng Manggagawa ng Purefoods-Hormel in Marikina City.

The suspected gunman, initially identified as Jetro Rafanan, was later collared by pursuing lawmen while trying to escape.

Paglinawan was inside a restaurant at the Araneta Center complex waiting for his food to be served when the suspect approached and shot the victim twice in the head with a caliber .45 automatic.

A security guard and traffic enforcer were alerted nearby and saw the suspect walking toward Aurora Boulevard.

Police said Rafanan yielded the murder weapon and two extra clips.

Quezon City Police District Station 7 commander Superintendent Bernabe Balba said they are still investigating the motive for the killing.

President Arroyo had ordered the Department of Justice and the PNP to address the spate of high profile killings of militants and journalists to disprove allegations of state-sponsored summary executions.

The President also created a fact-finding body to investigate the killings and appointed retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo to head the panel.

Mrs. Arroyo expressed her gratitude yesterday to Melo for agreeing to head the five-man commission.

"President Arroyo expresses her gratitude to former Justice Jose Melo for accepting the leadership of the new commission as we look forward to the major contributions of his team in upholding justice, the rule of law and human rights," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

Bunye made the statement after Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio declined on Monday the presidential offer to be a member of the Melo Commission. He was replaced by Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos.

Bunye said Malacañang shares the concerns of all citizens and groups over the spate of extra-judicial killings and that "the President has condemned these in no uncertain terms."

"Let us allow the commission to commence its vital work under an atmosphere of calm, judiciousness and sobriety," Bunye said.

The commission was formed last week amid the report made by Amnesty International (AI) criticizing the government for its human rights record.

The AI report said there were 51 political killings in the first six months of this year compared with 66 for all of 2005.

Amnesty said the Philippine government had "failed to protect individuals and their human rights."

The assault methods, the victims’ left-wing ideology and a "climate of impunity" that has apparently shielded the killers showed "that the attacks are not an unconnected series of criminal murders but constitute a politically motivated pattern of killings," Amnesty said.

Human rights group Karapatan claimed that since Mrs. Arroyo came to power in 2001, more than 700 civilians, including at least 310 left-wing activists, have been killed by suspected security forces, who often refer to militant groups as fronts for communist rebels.

Razon, meanwhile, had a meeting with 17 regional police directors at the PNP headquarters to discuss strategies on how to prevent the spate of killings.

Razon also revealed the directive of PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon to arrest 17 suspects within six weeks, one in every region, to support Mrs. Arroyo’s order.

"Arrest at least one suspect and file at least one case," Razon quoted Calderon’s supposed directive.

Of the seven people arrested, Razon said three were those behind the killing of Ralph Nuñez, cameraman of the government-run RPN-9 television network.

He said the suspects in the murder of Saksi photojournalist Albert Orsolino and photographer Prudencio "Dick" Melendres have been apprehended.

Razon revealed the two arrested suspects were also involved in the murder of two activists but did not elaborate.

With the filing of 12 cases, Razon said Task Force Usig had filed a total 39 cases in court while other cases remain under investigation.

Razon also assured Task Force Usig will coordinate its efforts with the Melo commission. - With Perseus Echeminada, Paolo Romero