Palace gets 'rebuke' from Alston over unsolved political killings

Despite the presence of a key Palace official to listen to his report at the United Nations General Assembly last week, UN special rapporteur Philip Alston said only a stop to killings in the Philippines can show the situation has indeed improved. A Malacañang statement issued Sunday said that while Alston acknowledged the presence of executive secretary Eduardo Ermita at the UN General Assembly, what is important is that the killings actually stop. "The bottom line is that only the elimination of such killings� will signal that the situation has turned the corner," he said, months after delivering a scathing report on extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. Still, he said Ermita's presence at the UN General Assembly was "important." "While clearly I will be very critical of issues that exist at present, the fact of its invitation and continued engagement does bring credit to the country," he said. Alston delivered a general report on his mandate to the UNGA last Friday, October 26, in New York City. The report covered not only his visit to the Philippines but also situations in other countries and the general importance of the Special Rapporteur's role in human rights protection. Alston said that he has had "discussions recently with top officials of the Philippines" and mentioned that the country has taken "a significant number of initiatives" since his visit in February. He said the Philippines is one of the few countries that have invited the Special Rapporteur to look into such a sensitive issue as extrajudicial killings. Ermita was the first government representative given the opportunity to respond, out of 11 countries that include Iran, Portugal, Venezuela, USA, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China, Russia, Singapore, and Kenya. He issued a call to other countries to "engage as much as possible with the (UN Human Rights) Council's special procedures, for the sake of our shared interest in human rights." The Philippines is a member of the international rights body, the Malacañang statement emphasized. Ermita also underlined the measures the Philippine government has taken to address killings of activists and media practitioners, including Department of Justice instructions to expedite and prioritize such cases, AO 181 which orders closer cooperation between investigators and prosecutors, and the new protective rule of court, the writ of amparo. Meanwhile, Ermita blamed anew the communist insurgency for "human rights violations" that have been happening under the Arroyo government, during a discussion on human rights Thursday (Manila time) with the Filipino community in New York and New Jersey. "He explained that these human rights violations happen because of the overall national security situation, where there are insurgency movements," said a Malacañang statement issued Sunday. The Palace statement said the dialog, organized by Consul-General Cecille Rebong, was held at the Philippine Center in New York City. Presidential Human Rights Committee executive director Cecilia Quisumbing also attended the meeting. During the dialog, Ermita emphasized that the government does not condone or tolerate killings of activists and media. He cited the measures the government is taking, including Department of Justice instructions to expedite and prioritize such cases, Administrative Order 181 which mandates closer cooperation between investigators and prosecutors, and the work of Task Force Usig in the Philippine National Police. "The government has reawakened its focus on the protection and promotion of human rights, not only protecting those who may be targeted for their political beliefs but also those whose economic rights may be under threat, as well as the rights of women, children and other sectors," he said. Ermita said the measures have borne fruit in the form of six convictions and more than 70 cases filed in court. He added that the AFP is investigating five men in uniform for possible involvement in such killings. Quisumbing explained the mandate of the Presidential Committee and the new rule of court, the writ of amparo, which the Supreme Court recently promulgated. However, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairwoman Purificacion Quisumbing said that while there had been a change in how government handles human rights, the CHR is waiting for government to deliver on its promises. "The CHR has listened to the government and hopes it will deliver on its promises," she said.- GMANews.TV