Japan Group Releases Report on Killings in Philippines

April 19 (Thu)
Meeting with the Committee on Human Rights

Meeting with DILG Undersecretary Melchor Rosales

Meeting with Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Interview with Grecil Buya’s parents
April 20 (Fri) Meeting at the Ateneo Human Rights Center

Meeting at the Japanese Embassy

Meeting with PAHRA

Dinner with Japanese media
April 21 (Sat) Press conference

Meeting with Beltran under detention in the hospital
April 22 (Sun) Return to Japan

After the mission, the fact-finding team continued to closely monitor the human rights situation in the Philippines. HRN kept itself updated on the status of the cases which the team had investigated, as reported by the various human rights groups in the Philippines. HRN also conducted discussions with the Philippine Embassy in Japan on two occasions. Furthermore, HRN analyzed media reports, as well as reports issued by the governmental organs and the judicial branch of the Philippines.2

Ⅲ

Background to the Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines

1. Overview

In the Philippines, many lawyers, human rights advocates and left-leaning activists have been killed since the Arroyo Administration came to power in 2001. The series of killings can be considered as extrajudicial killings because of the pattern of victimization and impunity: victims were recognized or labeled as leftists and the perpetrators have not been prosecuted or punished3.

The targets of such killings include people who are lawfully criticizing the government policy with peaceful measures such as speeches and writings. The victims have included lawyers, judges, human rights activists, journalists, doctors, leaders or activists of labor movements, farmers, priests, and activists of leftist parties.

It has been pointed out that the counterinsurgency operation in the Arroyo regime is behind the extrajudicial killings. In the 1990s, the Philippine government engaged in peace negotiations with the National Democratic of Front (NDF). However, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Philippine government changed the policy.

The government recognized the CPP-NDF as “terrorists” and launched a counterinsurgency operation- the so-called “Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL, Operation Plan Freedom Watch)”- in January 2002. After the operation was launched, the situation of extrajudicial killings in the country became more serious. This fact may show who is responsible for the series of extrajudicial killings: our recent investigation have revealed that government agencies, such as the military and police, are involved in the killings.

The historical background to the HRN fact-finding mission is outlined in the following sections.

2. Political Situation

(1) Internal Conflict

Since the independence from the United States occupation, there have been conflicts between the Philippine government and rebels. Despite several peace agreements and negotiations, the peace process is often suspended. The main actors of the conflicts are the Philippine government and communist organizations, primarily the Communist Party of the Philippines (hereinafter CPP), its military sector, the New People’s Army (NPA), and their uniting organization, National Democratic Front (NDF).4 The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has continued counter-insurgency operations towards the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Meanwhile, Muslim secessionist groups5 also engaged in armed conflict with the government. Although ceasefire agreements have been concluded with the government in the 1990s and early 2000s, these have not yet been fully implemented.6