Bishop asks: Killings go on. Is President Arroyo in control?

Amid the relentless murders of activists, has the commander-in-chief effectively lost control over her police and military forces? Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said President Arroyo must reflect on this question as the killings of activists go on despite Malacañang’s ceremonious denouncements. “Time and again, there are increasing perceptions that the commander-in-chief has in effect gradually and effectively lost its command. The many and continuous killings that respect neither time nor place, seem to argue convincingly that the said commander is in effect under the command of those who have the force of gun power in the government," he said in his web log (ovc.blogspot.com). He said it can be presumed that even if only to save face before the international community, Arroyo “could and would" put an effective stop to the wanton killings. Besides, he said the election period is so critical to her administration, that she would not want the murders to continue multiplying, “even if only to promote the pro-administration candidates for election." “But the count and counting simply continue for the reason alone, it seems not only possible but actually probable that the national leadership has in effect already lost the reality of its title as commander-in-chief. This is the case of a commander sadly and dangerously having no command — notwithstanding all assumptions or presences to the contrary. This is bad — very bad news!" he said. Cruz added the common denominator among the victims was that they were critical of the present government, and their kin believe the military had something to do with the killings. On the other hand, Cruz said the killings continue in spite of all the promises of the national leadership to stop them. Such was the extent of the killings that no less than a United Nations rapporteur Philip Alston and a US Senate committee called the attention of the Philippine government to stop them. “One wonders why the killings simply continue and why the killers remain free. This is a phenomenon that challenges the imagination while simple logic demands even but an elementary explanation," he said. - GMANews.TV