Ermita flies to New York for UN rights meeting

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita flew to New York Sunday night to meet with officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Malacañang said. Ermita, chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Committee, is expected to assure UN officials that the administration is addressing the cases of alleged human rights violations and the wave of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said. A few months back, UN officials led by UN Rapporteur Philip Alston visited the Philippines to look into allegations made by some groups of widespread unexplained killings in the country. Because of UN’s impending submission of a report on the matter, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has decided to send Ermita to New York to personally update UN officials on the government’s efforts in dealing with the situation. Ermita is also expected to brief UN officials on the government’s continuing resolve and commitment to address all forms of human rights violation. The Philippine delegation jointly led by Ermita and Chairman Purification Quisumbing of the Commission on Human Rights will be in New York for about a week. The President has designated Bunye as acting executive secretary. - GMANews.TV