Bayan, HRW to Aquino: Ban CVOs, CAFGUs

As the Aquino administration prepares to implement a new internal security plan (ISP) for 2011, militants called for the dismantling of paramilitary groups that have been blamed for the spate of human rights violations in the country, including the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre. Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in a statement warned President Benigno Aquino III they would “closely monitor" his ISP, based on a Nov. 16 report on the Philippine situation by international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW). The 96-page report prepared by the HRW urged the new administration to “dismantle and disarm these militia forces," noting that “families like the Ampatuans have used officially sanctioned paramilitaries as private armies to spread terror and maintain power." “We concur with HRW. A mere executive order from President Aquino is all it takes to dismantle the paramilitary units. This can greatly reduce the kind of abuses that various human rights groups have monitored over the years," said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr. GMANews.TV tried to contact Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, but got no response as of this posting. Paramilitary groups consist of Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGUs) and Civilian Volunteer Organizations or CVOs, according to Bayan. Considered as auxiliary units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), CAFGUs enjoy privileges such as access to military weapons and and exemptions from the gun ban during elections. Even now, “the impunity enjoyed by militia forces generally [has] not been addressed by the Philippine government," HRW reported. HRW urged Aquino to “carry out his pledge to abolish private armies by banning all paramilitary and militia forces in the Philippines." However, “Aquino’s reliance on the military to stabilize his regime has made him careful in dealing with the abuses attributed to the AFP. This could be a continuing major factor in his decision whether or not to dismantle the paramilitary groups and investigate top officials," Reyes said in the statement. Hold Arroyo accountable According to Bayan, “many of the perpetrators of human rights violations in Maguindanao province belonged to paramilitary groups that served as a private army of the Ampatuan clan." On November 23, 2009, at least 57 people on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu were brutally killed and buried in a mass grave by suspected members of the Ampatuan clan, a rival political group. The massacre victims included Mangudadatu’s wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy. “The Aquino government should also look into the complicity of the previous Arroyo government in the alleged abuses committed by the Ampatuans. This particular aspect is not covered by the ongoing Ampatuan trial. Gloria Arroyo is not even an accused there," Reyes said. Several suspects in the Maguindanao massacre case have been linked to CAFGUs. “Mr. Aquino should order the investigation of Arroyo, including her top civilian and military officials, who not only turned a blind eye to the abuses in Maguindanao, but even aided the Ampatuans militarily and politically," said Reyes. He added, “The systemic roots of the massacre should also be addressed by the Aquino government. This can pave the way for the investigation of Arroyo’s complicity in other human rights violations involving state forces." — With Larissa Mae Suarez/VS, GMANews.TV