US Senate demands end to RP killings

WASHINGTON – The United States sought an end to a wave of unsolved killings in the Philippines, as a congressional panel here examined the problem at a special meeting on Wednesday.

US Sen. Barbara Boxer chastised the Arroyo administration for not taking "sufficient action to address unsolved killings and bring those responsible to justice."

Boxer, chairman of the Senate foreign relations subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific affairs, also upbraided the government for sending senior military and police officers from Manila to a Senate hearing on the issue, and suggested that strings be attached to US military aid to the Philippines to safeguard human rights.

It ís really important that we do not have blood on our hands in this country,î said Boxer at a hearing to investigate reports of unsolved killings in the Philippines and examine strategies to help end the violence.

We have a lot of leverage we can use,î Boxer pointed out.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric John, head of the State Departmentís Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, praised President Arroyo for making efforts in recent months to stop the killings. But he also told the panel that Mrs. Arroyo is ultimately responsible for security forcesí actions and for the rise in the attacks.

As the ultimate authority in the chain of command, she (Mrs. Arroyo) has to take the steps to solve any involvement by members of the security forces,î John stressed.

Boxer said ìit remains to be seenî if the Philippine governmentís assurances to solve the killings ìwill be followed by real tangible actions.î"She noted the Philippines was an important ally in the global war against terrorism, but said the government could pursue its war on terror while at the same time respect human rights.

US lawmakers, Boxer pointed out, had to make sure their taxpayersí hard-earned dollars to train the Philippine military do not perpetuate human rights abuses and suggested, ìwe need to put some strings to it.î

Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director Avelino Razon and Chief Superintendent Edgardo Doromal, head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who were sent to Washington to explain the governmentís position, did not attend the US Senate inquiry after Boxer expressed concern their presence might intimidate witnesses.

We made it very clear and to their credit they responded. They said they will not send any military, they wonít send any police, and they said they wonít send any intelligence agents,î Boxer said.

In Manila, MalacaÒang emphasized that the President is doing what is necessary to address the issue in reaction to the statements made during the first day of hearing of the US Senate.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye noted several actions have been taken by all concerned government agencies such as the creation of special courts to handle the cases of the killings of activists and media personalities, and the assignment of additional investigators for these cases.

Bunye, however, sought more cooperation ìfrom all the stakeholders.î

I think if we get the cooperation of the witnesses, the panelists and those involved, we will be able to move much better on these cases,î he said.

Bunye also said the Palace respects the prerogative of the US Senate as a democratic institution to conduct the inquiry.

The President is very committed to the solution of these casesÖ the President is doing what needs to be done,î Bunye stressed.

Canada also raised concerns over the spate of unsolved murders hitting the Philippines.

Weíre impressed with the efforts of the Philippine government, but weíd like to see some arrest, prosecution, conviction and resolution of the cases. Itís a great concern for everybody,î said Steven Rheault-Kihara, counselor for political and economic relations and public affairs of the Canadian Embassy on Wednesday.

Encouraging, but not enough

Razon, wearing a gray suit, was seen taking a quick peek at the subcommittee room just before the start of the 90-minute hearing attended by a full capacity crowd of Church and human rights advocates from Manila and the US, State Department officials, Filipino-American community leaders and wire service and local reporters.

He later denied planning to attend the hearing and said his main aim in coming to Washington was to brief embassy personnel on the human rights situation.

John told the hearing he was encouraged by steps taken by Mrs. Arroyo to address the unsolved killings in a serious and effective way.

Indeed, we judge that no Philippine administration has done as much substantively and institutionally as what this one has done over the past year,î John said, but added: We will continue to make clear that more progress is essential and that we stand ready to be of assistance to Philippine authorities.

Responding to a statement by Boxer, John denied he was painting a ìrosy picture of the Philippines. When pressed on whether Mrs. Arroyoís actions had been sufficient to curb the murders, he said until the numbers drop drastically ìI donít think you can determine that it’s enough.

In his testimony Eugene Martin, executive director of the Philippine Facilitation Project at the United States Institute of Peace, said with campaigning for national elections on May 14 well underway, little if any serious effort will be exerted to investigate killings of political significance.

In fact, Martin predicted an upsurge of campaign related violence and candidates from left-wing political parties will be particular targets.

Boxer urged the State Department to send election monitors to ensure free and fair elections.

An 11-member ecumenical delegation from the Philippines including the Catholic bishop of Kalookan Deogracia IÒiguez, Bishop Eliezer Pascua, secretary general of the United Church of Christ and Bishop Solito Toquero of the United Methodist Church attended the hearing to present a new report on politically motivated murders and urge Congress to pressure the Arroyo administration to put an end to the killings.

The report was prepared by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and details cases of political killings. It expressed concern that a recent counter-terrorism law in the Philippines will be used to sanction political repression against legitimate dissent and the critical press.

Pascua and Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary general of the NGO Karapatan, a leading human rights advocacy alliance, said in their testimony that 836 people have been killed in political assassinations since President Arroyo took power in 2001 ñ over 200 of them last year alone.

The victims included more than 400 farmers, lawyers, students and indigenous leaders, 31 Karapatan workers, 26 church people and 49 media members.

Other senators at the hearing were Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jim Webb, newly elected Democrat of Virginia.

Webb asked if some of the deaths could be attributed to ìcollateral damageî or excesses by the military in the heat of combat as opposed to targeted political killings, but Hilao-Enriquez of Karapatan said ìwe consider them to be extrajudicial killings since these people should have been protected by the military. - with Marvin Sy, Pia Lee-Brago, AFP, AP