Lapses of military, NPA contributed to human rights violations, group says

Several lapses committed by members of the Philippine military and rebel groups as well as the existence of private armed factions contributed most to cases of human rights violations in the Philippines last year. A culture of impunity remains prevalent in the Philippines as perpetrators of human rights violation have yet to be brought to justice, the Amnesty International said in its annual report on the global human rights situation. The report — which documented human rights abuses in 159 countries last year — called on governments to ensure human rights in their respective nations and urged countries that are not yet members of the International Criminal Court to join. In its rush to meet the deadline it earlier set to end the communist insurgency, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) failed to discriminate between communist rebels and "human rights defenders," according the group. Earlier, the AFP vowed to crush the New People's Army before the end of the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo next month. But military Gen. Delfin Bangit had recently been quoted as admitting they might be unable to meet the deadline. The report also claimed that the military continued to practice torture in military facilities and secret detention centers. "The military subjected civilians to secret detention, torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment," the report said. The military continues to be scored for its alleged illegal arrest and detention of 43 health workers in Morong, Rizal earlier this year. The health workers claimed being tortured but the military has denied the accusation. [See related: Palace: Dismal human rights situation, just view of Amnesty International] The report cited a May 2010 statement of concern from the United Nations Committee Against Torture about "numerous, ongoing, credible and constant allegations of routine and widespread use of torture and ill-treatment of suspects in police custody." The Amnesty International report also blamed armed communist rebels for persistent human rights violations. "Both sides [the military and the NPA] carried out politically motivated killings and enforced disappearnces," it said. It further said that the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA had failed to reduce the number of these unlawful killings in the Philippines. Also highlighted in the report was the Ampatuan massacre last November 23, 2009 where more than 50 people, including 32 journalists, were killed by alleged armed civilians controlled by the powerful Ampatuan clan. Hundreds of suspects are currently facing multiple murder charges but hearing at a Quezon City court has yet to proceed to the trial proper, pending the completion of bail proceedings. "The impunity of unlawful killings remained widespread, and witness protection remained inadequate," the report said, citing other cases of extra-judicial killings recorded last year. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV