Search PinoyPress    |    Subscribe
Jobs  |  Real Estate   |   Cars   |  Gigs   |  Services   |   More Classified Ads
Browse by section, topic or location
Manila, Philippines

YOU ARE HERE: Home » All Entries, Top Stories » In Paper to UN Rights Council, Germans Decry Abuses

In Paper to UN Rights Council, Germans Decry Abuses

PUBLISHED ON February 29, 2008 AT 9:31 AM

The following is an aide memoire on the Philippine human rights written by the Philippine bureau of the Forum Menschenrechte (FMR), a network of human rights NGOs in Germany. The paper has been handed over to the German foreign ministry for consideration of the German delegates to the UN Human Rights Council.

While the Philippines are state party to most of the important UN human rights conventions and treaties, their implementation is not a policy priority. Human rights violations continue to be grave and widespread: Despite the declared willingness of the Philippine Government to resolve these issues, politically motivated killings and enforced disappearances perpetrated by alleged security forces personnel are continuing.

Political Situation

Since March 2005 the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been suffering a continuous political crisis after evidence of electoral fraud, massive corruption of public funds and widespread violations of human rights surfaced. Despite numerous political challenges from the opposition and a defeat in the senatorial elections of 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could repel political challenges to her presidency in 2007. In November 2007 newly elected senator Antonio Trillianes IV and a group of 30 military officers staged a failed coup attempt at a luxury hotel in Manila. However, family members of the President have allegedly been involved in various corruption scandals, such as the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal: A senate probe is currently investigating allegations that First Husband Mike Arroyo demanded 130 Million US-Dollars kickbacks for brokering the project.

Facing constant opposition and threats of public uprising and military coups, the Arroyo government has resorted to subterfuge and obfuscation, as well as taken control by infringing on civil liberties and by forming alliances with the military. There are now more than two dozen high ranking civil servants and government officials with a former military or police background in various government institutions.

A general erosion of respect for the law and the failure of the state to identify, bring to trial and sentence human rights violators continue to determine the human rights situation. This climate of impunity has over the past two years been well documented by investigations of local NGOs, such as Partnership for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Services, Inc. (PARRDS), Citizen’s Council for Human Rights (CCHR), international organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch as well as the UN Special Rappoteurs on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Prof. Philip Alston, as well as Prof. Rodolfo Stavenhagen, UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples.

While some cosmetic improvements to the normative environment of human rights legislation have been initiated by the executive department, the real problem – the lack of implementation of existing laws and the climate of impunity – is still not being tackled: In 2007 it was the supreme court, who has taken a leading role in searching for solutions regarding extrajudicial executions, while the presidency remains mostly inactive regarding human rights. On 16-17 July 2007 Supreme Justice Puno invited all sectors concerned to a National Consultative Summit on Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances. Most speakers on the summit were convinced that parts of the security forces are responsible for the killings, while the presentations by Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Hermogenes C. Esperon as well as General Oscar C. Calderon, Director General of the Philippine National Police (PNP) refused to acknowledge the responsibilities of security forces in many politically motivated killings and enforced disappearances. The Supreme Court, however, operates vis-à-vis a Justice Department strongly affiliated with the executive.

The confidence of the population in the rule of law has in turn been seriously damaged. Facing political instability, the president has a) shied away from the implementation of crucial reforms in the justice system and b) exacerbated the human rights situation through its handling of the current political crisis.

Extrajudicial Executions and Enforced Disappearances

Two underlying main causes for many extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances, as identified by Prof. Philip Alston in February 2007, have still not been addressed by the government. These are:

a) “the characterization [by security forces] of most groups on the left of the political spectrum as ‘front organizations’ for armed groups, particularly the New People’s Army (NPA)
b) “the extent to which aspects of the government’s counter-insurgency strategy encourage or facilitate the extrajudicial killings of activists and other ‘enemies’.” (Prof. Philip Alston, A/HRC/4/20/Add.3)

The number of politically motivated killings involving security personnel is highly contested. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported 296 killings of political activists between January 2001 and 22 June 2007 (1).

The NGO Karapatan documented 836 politically motivated killings between January 2001 and 14 November 2006, as well as 68 killings between 1 January and 31 October 2007. Of those, the police unit Task Force Usig, created in 2006 to investigate political killings, discarded all but 116 “valid” cases of killed political activists and journalists by 30 August 2007. (2) Considering the great number of election-related killings documented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2004 and 2007, 148 and 121 cases respectively, the low figure of cases declared valid by Task Force Usig seems illusive. Moreover, its inquiry lays the blame for most of the killings on the NPA, while identifying only 11 cases with military personnel as suspects or perpetrators (3): This scenario of a present internal purge within the Philippine left responsible for the increasing number of extrajudicial executions has been widely dismissed as propaganda by human rights NGOs and investigative missions into the killings. (4) There is also an inconsistency of the Task Force Usig data with other official datasets: Between January 2005 and December 2006 alone there were 72 cases of murder where military personnel are the alleged perpetrators filed with the Commission on Human Rights (5). In January 2008 six further cases were reported by human rights organisations and in Philippine news reports. In June 2007, three anonymous generals reported about a top-level military conference in Luzon in 2005, during which extrajudicial executions were openly discussed as a response to the communist insurgency. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye as well as Secretary Norberto Gonzales dismissed the reports as “unverifiable” and chose not to comment on anonymous an unverifiable information. (6)

Pages: 1 2 3 4

RSS feedSubscribe via email Discuss

Leave a Comment

RECENT COMMENTS
Dropping Spratlys from RP Map ‘Treasonous’ (2 Comments)
Yayo: …even though I am still a student I strongly feel that we should have the rights to this islands…
Carlos H. Conde » Why Globe Broadband Sucks Big Time (16 Comments)
Angel Eyes: Ang masasabi ko lang eh ang kapal ng mukha ng Globe na i-lock ka ng 1 years tapos puro bills at walang...
Malunggay Ice Cream, Anyone? (15 Comments)
emma: im interested how to make tea juice and coffee out of malunggay leaves. pls …….
ashiel de las alas: …….can you gave me the recipe of malunggay ice cream…..plz
Arroyo Bats for an Energy-Independent Philippines (3 Comments)
moses: sorry for i mispelled read…as red. the recipe is methanol and Lye..for mixing in used cooking oil..what...
moses: here’s the website on how to make biodiesel..it sounds so easy..but above comment says its hard or even...

Send money to the Philippines for as low as $3.50.
TAGS
THE NEWS IN PICTURES

Undaunted. Activists from Anakbayan scuffle with the police as the Chevrolet Suburban carrying President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo passes by the junction before the newly built Bankerohan bridge in Davao City last week. The president was in the city for the declaration of the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi parties. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Freedom Denied. Lex Adonis, a former broadcaster of Bombo Radyo in Davao City, inside the Davao Penal Colony, where he was jailed after House Speaker Prospero Nograles sued him for libel over a story involving the Davao congressman's alleged sexual relations with a woman other than his wife. Despite a court order, Adonis remains in jail. (File photo by davaotoday.com)

Tribute to Ka Bel. Activists, artists, friends and supporters troop to the Philippine Independent Church on Taft Avenue Monday night to honor AnakPawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, who died last week. Beltran will be buried in Bulacan today, after a ceremony honoring him at the House of Representatives, where he served for several terms as party-list congressman. (Photo by Ayi Muallam/pinoypress.net)

Rare Sight. Moro women students of a madrasah play volleyball during a break in barangay Ugalingan, Carmen, North Cotabato, last week. While Filipina Moros are considered relatively open in their lifestyle compared to Muslim women in other countries, scenes like this are not very common in Moro areas in Mindanao. (Photo by Keith Bacongco/AKP Images)

Ka Bel's Fight. An activist mourns the death of AnakPawis Rep. Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran, who died Tuesday. Ka Bel's remains lie in state at the IFI Cathedral in Manila. His colleagues, family and friends have lined up a series of tributes. Click here for the schedules, as well as statements and poems honoring Ka Bel. (Photo by courtesy of arkibongbayan)

Displaced. Lumad families from Compostela and Monkayo towns, in Compostela Valley Province, seek refuge in Davao City after being displaced by intense counter-insurgency operations by the military in their communities this month. The 210 evacuees, of which 83 are children, are now staying inside a gym. The number of evacuees is expected to rise, according to NGOs. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan)

Displaced. Lumad families from Compostela and Monkayo towns, in Compostela Valley Province, seek refuge in Davao City after being displaced by intense counter-insurgency operations by the military in their communities this month. The 210 evacuees, of which 83 are children, are now staying inside a gym. The number of evacuees is expected to rise, according to NGOs. (Photo by Barry Ohaylan)

Mangled and Mutilated. Rey Cayago, an activist who previously worked for the migrant group Migrante, has been found dead, his head cut off, his face and body mangled. Family and friends denounced the military for the atrocity; the armed forces had alleged that Cayago was a communist guerrilla who was killed in a firefight in the Cordilleras. But human-rights groups contend that even if Cayago were a rebel, what happened to him was "inexcusable" and a "blatant violation of the protocols of war." Click here for the story. (Photo courtesy of Bulatlat)

Unrealistic Deadline. Newly installed Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, shown here during the installation on Saturday of Maj. Gen. Armando Cunanan as the new chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command in Davao City, admitted that the deadline set by the Arroyo government for the defeat of the New People's Army by 2010 is not realistic. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

FALLEN LEADER. Police check the dead body of Celso Pojas, a peasant leader murdered in Davao City this morning. He was the first activist killed in Davao City, according to Karapatan, and the 14th activist killed in the Philippines this year. Human rights groups here and abroad have denounced the Arroyo regime for the killings. Click here for the story. (Photo courtesy of FADC-KMP)

COMPOSTELA’S BIG GUN. Compostela Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy poses to the media while holding a high-powered rifle owned by the New People’s Army during the release on May 6 of two soldiers held captive as "prisoners of war" by the guerrillas. The NPA released the soldiers to Uy in Compostela town. Click here for the story. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

PRESS FREEDOM SHRINE. Journalists from Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon marked World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, at the shrine of Marcelo del Pilar, the national hero and revolutionary propagandist, in Bulacan. They also said a prayer for the Filipino journalists murdered over the years. Click here for more photos. (Photo by Carlos Conde/pinoypress.net)

THEY'RE EVERYWHERE This map illustrates the different ways and forms by which the United States has established its military basing in the Philippines. It shows the locations of the increasing number of military exercises the US has been holding year-round in venues throughout the country since 2001. It also charts the growing number of ports that US warships have been visiting. Read the story.

SHAMED AND HUMILIATED. The staff at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu humiliated a gay man who underwent a rectal procedure. But the hospital refused to name those responsible for the shameful act. Because of this, a PinoyPress blogger has launched a contest: whoever can provide the names of the doctors and staff involved will get one year free web-hosting. Click here for details.
BREAKING NEWS | July 20, 2008
Despite Claims of Losses, ‘Big 3′ Rake in Billions in Oil Profits 09:43 am
Falling Enrolment Rates Highlight Need for More Social Spending 03:22 pm
Arroyo-Bush Meeting to ‘Strengthen Unequal Relations, US Intervention ‘ 03:13 pm
Rice NGO Seeks Lower-Priced Rice in Market 12:08 pm
Villar, Nene to File Bill to Fix Absentee-Voting Flaws 12:06 pm
Atienza Favors Mining Firms Over LGUs: Group 11:49 am
Burma: End All Conditions on Aid 11:39 am
Signature Drive Vs VAT on Oil, Power Resumes 11:36 am
Arroyo-Bush Summit Slammed, US Protests Readied 11:34 am
Another UCCP Pastor Abducted 11:15 am
» More Breaking News
GoDaddy.com $1.99 Domains

News & Journalism - Top Blogs Philippines

SECTIONS
News
Opinion & Analysis
Special Reports
Press Releases & Statements
Blogs
Photographs
Readings
TOPICS
Current Events
Politics
Business
Technology
Media & Journalism
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Travel & Leisure
LOCATION
Metro Manila
Metro Cebu
Metro Davao
Ilocos Region
Cagayan Valley
Central Luzon
Southern Tagalog
Bicol Region
Western Visayas
Central Visayas
Eastern Visayas
Northern Mindanao
Southern Mindanao (Davao Region)
Zamboanga Peninsula
Socsksargen
Cordillera Region
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
Caraga Region

MAIN STORIES
Why the Eraserheads’ Reunion Concert Sucks
Despite Claims of Losses, ‘Big 3′ Rake in Billions in Oil Profits
The Sacred VAT
Australia May Exploit Drilon Kidnapping to Push for Military Pact in Mindanao
Young, Poor and Unschooled
Drilon Kidnapping: A Case of Gauging Risks for a Story
> More

OTHER STORIES
Survey Shows Online Advertising Is Less Effective Than TV Advertising in Asia
Falling Enrolment Rates Highlight Need for More Social Spending
Fr. Shay Cullen: Still Saving the Kids Behind Bars
NGO Lifts Livelihood While Preserving Palawan’s Allure
Arroyo-Bush Summit Slammed, US Protests Readied
Ka Bel, mula sa Amado V. Hernandez Resource Center
> More
SPECIAL COVERAGE
PHOTO ESSAY

SUNDAY MARKET AT THE LUNG CENTER. One of the best weekend markets can be found inside the Lung Center of the Philippines compound in Quezon City. In these series of pictures, PinoyPress shows just how a trip to this favorite Sunday destination is worth it. (PinoyPress photos by Carlos Conde and Ayi Muallam)

Send Money to Philippines. $200.00 for $11.00 only.