Late bishop Claver's nephew writes Noynoy: ‘Stop killings’

The nephew of late Catholic bishop and rights advocate Francisco Claver joined renewed calls by victims of extra-judicial killings for President Benigno Aquino III to address the “culture of impunity" leading to such heinous crimes. Dr. Constancio Claver, a medical doctor, nephew of the late bishop Claver and himself a human rights advocate in the Cordillera region, wrote Aquino a letter asking him to announce “bold and definite steps" to address the problem. “At the very minimum, I had hoped to hear from you a clear and unequivocal warning… that will start to counter the ‘culture of impunity’ related to these killings and disappearances," Claver wrote. Excerpts of his letter were posted Wednesday night on the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) website. Claver said there had been 1,000 executions and more than 200 abductions in recent years, blaming these on the government’s anti-insurgency drive. UCAN said Claver sent the letter to Aquino on the fourth anniversary of the ambush on his family on July 31, 2006 in Kalinga province, where his wife was killed while he sustained injuries. Charges against a police officer in connection with the case were dismissed for lack of evidence. Claver later moved to Canada with his children citing reasons of safety. Meanwhile, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) echoed Claver's call for a stop to the killings. In a letter to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, leaders of the IFI said they want the Justice Department to address cases “particularly in relation to human rights violations committed by the state." They called for the prosecution of former President Gloria Arroyo, the release of political prisoners and justice for victims of “extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances." IFI said its members who were among the victims of killings were Bishop Alberto Ramento of Tarlac, Father William Tadena, Joveto Agustin of Ilocos Norte and Benjamin Bayles of Negros Occidental. “Justice remains elusive for their families as no one had been penalized," the Church said in the letter they handed to de Lima on Aug. 3. Militant rights group Karapatan lists 1,205 people killed in the government’s counter-insurgency campaign dubbed Oplan “Bantay Laya" (Freedom Watch).—JV, GMANews.TV