GMA vows to end journalist killings

Gov’t hit for ‘wasting’ EU aid Gov’t hit for ‘wasting’ EU aid

By Michaela P. del Callar

06/15/2007

A German diplomat yesterday criticized the Philippine government for apparently wasting the financial aid being given it by the European Union (EU) to help lick its human rights problem with its alleged failure to implement measures aimed at addressing the spate of killings of local journalists and murders and disappearances of local activists.

In a press conference, Germany Deputy Chief of Mission to the Philippines Rolf Saligmann said the EU’s continued provision of assistance to the Philippines is of no use if its government does not show will in addressing its human rights problem.

As he recognized some of the steps the Philippine government has adopted to tackle the issue, Saligmann said there still seems to be an “implementation deficit” of those measures.

He added it appears that in the first place a “recognition of the problem is not there.”

“What are the real reasons why the programs on the killings have not been fully implemented?...The main problem seems to be the implementation of the measures against these recognized negative facts,” he told reporters.

“There are 99 (special) courts (on the killings in the Philippines), okay. But the question is, how can it be effective? We have to think about that...There are many initiatives but the implementation is the main point,” he further said.

The EU’s top diplomat to the Philippines, Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, also scored the Philippine government’s failure to stem the spate of killings of local journalists and activists.

“The fact remains that the killings have continued and that prosecutions and convictions are relatively small,” MacDonald, head of the Delegation of the European Commission (EC), told the same press conference.

The EU, through the EC, the union’s executive body, has been very vocal in denouncing the unresolved and unabated political killings in the Philippines.

The two European officials announced that on June 18, a team of six experts from the EU will start a 10-day mission to the Philippines to evaluate needs and identify technical assistance that the EU might provide to help Manila prosecute those behind the killings.

MacDonald said the EU Needs Assessment Mission comes in response to an official request by the Philippine government for technical assistance in areas such as the establishment of special court and training of judges and special prosecutors.

He said Manila also requested assistance on how to strengthen its witness protection program, building the government’s technical and forensic capacity to investigate cases, and raising human rights awareness within the military and police.

He, however, stressed that the mission is “not an investigating nor a fact-finding team,” but in the course of their mission they would meet with local human rights groups, church leaders and non-government organizations.

“That is the sole responsibility of the Philippine government. Instead, the experts will be working with the Philippine authorities and civil society to identify areas where EU technical assistance, training and advice on such matters could be most useful,” MacDonald said.

He added the sending of the mission reflects the concern of the EU with respect to human rights, as well as the Union’s willingness to assist Manila in its efforts to protect the lives of its citizens “by expeditiously and effectively investigating these incidents and bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

According to Macdonald, the team of EU experts has a mixed profile covering a broad range of areas, including investigative techniques, forensic science, human rights and humanitarian law.

He said the experts will come from Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom as well as from the EC.

They will be holding technical meetings with officials from a wide range of concerned institutions and agencies such as the Office of the President, the Supreme Court, the Commission on Human Rights, the Presidential Human Rights Committee, Department of Foreign Affairs, Justice, National Defense, Interior and Local Government, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

They will also hold meetings with civil society representatives and with interested international partners.

MacDonald said the EU experts will be traveling to Central Luzon and hold discussions with government and law enforcement officials and human rights representatives. The mission will end on June 28.

“Building on these discussions and the careful analysis of ideas gathered during its stay, the mission will make recommendationsto the EU and its member states regarding possible future technical assistance which the EU could provide in this field,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo met with media groups yesterday and gave an understanding that she will end the spate of journalist killings in the country.

At the meeting, Mrs. Arroyo said she would take up the recommendation of the journalists to have “a special prosecution team” to handle media killings, and called for a regular meeting every three months between journalist groups and government security agencies.

The heads of the military, police and the Justice Department were at the meeting along with the representatives of various associations of local journalists and foreign correspondents.

“We must improve the coordination and cooperation between media organizations, the military, police and the Department of Justice with a meeting every three months,” Mrs. Arroyo said, adding the next meeting would be in September.

She conceded that “we have a sorry history in our nation for political violence. We aim to break this cycle of violence once and for all.”

The meeting was called amid a spate of unsolved killings of journalists since Mrs. Arroyo came to power.

International media watchdog organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and the International Press Institute have labeled the Philippines as the most dangerous place for news professionals next to Iraq.

At least two journalists were killed this year and 12 murdered in the course of their work last year, the local National Union of Journalists said.

Critics alleged security forces were behind some of the killings.

Mrs. Arroyo said she believed “99 percent of military and policemen and women are good, outstanding and loyal patriots fighting to protect our country everyday.” With AFP