From the Office of Rep. Crispin Beltran

South Wing Room 602 House of Representatives

Constitution Hills 1126 Quezon City, Philippines

Reference: Rep.Crispin Beltran (+63)9278711080

Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff  931.6615, 09195065269

 

News Release   Tuesday  January 30, 2007

 

Solon calls for vigilance against possible whitewash of Melo Commission's findings on extra-judicial killings ; says chain of command ends with Pres. Gloria Arroyo, not with Jovito Palparan

 

Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran today  called for against all moves to whitewash the findings of the Melo Commission and make it appear that it was a mere matter of negligence of command that set off the series of extra-judicial killings in the country. He said that  the false  view that  the extra-judicial killings were the handiwork of  rebel  elements within the  Armed Forces of the Philippines - whether the rightists  or  the anti-Arroyo factions within the AFP-  should  not be given credence. "The extra-judicial killings are a state policy, a  program of the government," he said.

 

 

Beltran said that it was highly unlikely that Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will act on the recommendation of the Melo Commission that retired Maj. General Jovito Palparan and other military commanders be held responsible for the series of extra-judicial killings of civilians, human rights activists,   members and leaders of progressive political party-lists and people's organizations.

 

"Will Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo act on these findings and have Palparan detained and charged for the hundreds of extra-judicial killings he masterminded, or will she dismiss the Melo Commission's findings? Chances are it will be the latter. It was Pres. Arroyo herself who lauded Palparan's brutality and awarded him with a medal of valor," he said.

 

Beltran said that while the report has still be made public, there were already, however, indications that the Malacanang is being shielded from the main responsibility of allowing and even ordering the all-out attack against the progressive party-lists, people's organizations and their members. He said that if retired SC justice Jose Melo is citing the principle of command responsibility, then the chain of responsibility inevitably ends with Pres. Arroyo.

 

"Jovito Palparan should be immediately arrested and thrown behind bars following the findings of the Melo Commission; but this still would not be enough. Pres. Gloria Arroyo should also be made accountable for the military campaign that Palparan led and continues to influence which has resulted in the brutal killing of hundreds of human rights advocates and political activists. The chain of command leads from Palparan all the way up to Macapagal-Arroyo. Pres. Arroyo herself should not be exempted from the investigations of the Melo Commission. Even the members international groups have strongly insinuated and even accused Macapagal-Arroyo of turning extra-judicial killings of activists and legitimate critics of the administration as a state policy," he said. "She is, after all, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and all generals, including butchers like Palparan, report directly to her."

 

The veteran labor leader turned lawmaker said that the Melo Commission's findings will not stand up as solid and credible if it does not cite the president's primary responsibility to observe that human rights are not violated. He said that the recommendations of the European Union, the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the findings of Amnesty International should also be taken into account.

 

"The Melo Commission's findings will amount to nothing if it does not recommend the inclusion of Pres. Gloria Arroyo in the list of those accountable for the more than 800 extra-judicial killings. The Arroyo administration's state policy of political repression and curtailment of human, civil and political rights should also be put under close scrutiny," he said.#