US lawmaker to Arroyo: ‘Move quickly’ against killings

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 01:58pm (Mla time) 04/26/2007

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) United States congresswoman Ellen Tauscher has written President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, asking her to “move quickly” against the extrajudicial killings of left-wing political activists by prosecuting those responsible for the crimes, according to her letter, a copy of which had been obtained by INQUIRER.net.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Willie Gaa and US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney had been furnished copies of Tauscher’s letter, which came about a month after the US congressional hearings on the issue.

INQUIRER.net’s copy was given by one of several Philippine ecumenical groups in the US that had lobbied for the hearings.

Writing in behalf of her Filipino-American constituents, Tauscher, from the 10th District of California and a member of the US House Armed Services Committee which oversees the disbursement of foreign military financing, also asked the President to allow leftist groups to enjoy the political space accorded them by the partylist system provided in the Constitution.

“In order to stem the ongoing extrajudicial killings and to renew public faith in the political and military institutions in the Philippines, I urge you to move quickly to prosecute those responsible for the crimes and to make clear that political policy toward the left-wing parties in Congress does not extend to the condoning of murder as tactic to limit these parties from operating freely,” she said.

“Moreover, I urge you to not only provide legitimate political space for leftist groups, but to also ensure that counterinsurgency strategy, especially at the local level, does not include extrajudicial killings of political activists,” she said.

Tauscher said the prosecution of those behind the killings would show the Philippine military that such murders would not be condoned.

“Thorough investigations and credible prosecution of the murders will demonstrate that the Philippine Armed Forces do not have impunity from prosecution and that the Philippine government does not condone such matters,” she wrote.

Tauscher noted the flaws in the witness protection system and mentioned the Amnesty International’s reference to a “climate of fear” among civilians due to the killings and “the general sense that the murders will go unprosecuted and the witnesses unprotected from reprisal killings.”

The Democrat legislator prefaced her April 5 letter with condolences to the mudslide victims in the province of Southern Leyte, the strong US-RP relationship, and the positive actions of the government concerning the killings.

“I applaud your decision to make public the Melo Commission’s report, as your support for United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston’s fact-finding mission regarding these killings,” she said.

The commission, headed by former Associate Justice Jose Melo, was created by the President to investigate the spate of political killings and make recommendations for the possible prosecution of the perpetrators.

Tauscher noted that the relationship between the countries was reflected in a Constitution that “reflects a strong commitment to, and respect for, human rights,” making the Philippines “a powerful example of peaceful democratic transition.”

“In the face of security threats within your country and our countries’ long-standing cooperation on security matters, the Philippines has received the largest increase in US foreign assistance in the East-Asia Pacific region since 2001, particularly in the form of foreign military financing,” she pointed out.

Tauscher recommended that the Human Rights Commission and the recently created independent special court on extrajudicial killings be strengthened by including in their mandates “the power to investigate, provide witness protection, and prosecute any person -- including members of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] -- responsible for extrajudicial murder.”

“The measures you ordered to be put in place in response to the Melo Commission report are important first steps, and I encourage you to remain committed to ending the murders as the concrete work of investigation and prosecution of these crimes begins,” she suggested.

Various numbers ranging from 500 to 800 have been cited by various groups as the number of victims of extrajudicial killings. Aside from leftist political activists, journalists and church people have been among those killed over the past years.
Originally posted at 10:50 am


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