49 US solons urge Arroyo to act vs killings, rights abuses
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
Posted date: August 03, 2007
49 US solons urge
Arroyo to act vs killings, rights abuses
Worry US aid used to violate human rights
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=80409
MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Saying "the well-documented violence that continues with impunity must be ended," 49 members of the US House of Representatives have written President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urging "strong and immediate leadership" to end extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses.
"Since the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines continue unabated, and given the fact that there are many unanswered questions about the role of the Philippine government and military in these deaths, we respectfully request your strong and immediate leadership in investigating and prosecuting those individuals and/or groups, including those in the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and PNP [Philippine National Police], responsible for these killings, and in eliminating the underlying causes of the violence," the bipartisan letter http://oberstar.house.gov/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC=%7B3E3F0C73-EDA7-4A04-B371-B9F754B8B25F%7D&DE=%7BFA3ED28F-C463-4444-9FF7-4CA9A69070F2%7D , dated August 1, said.
The solons also worried that US aid to the Philippine military and police is being used to commit the killings, which human rights groups estimate have claimed the lives of more than 800 people -- mostly left-wing activists -- since Arroyo came to power in 2001, and other human rights violations as part of the government's counterinsurgency program.
"We are very concerned that the extrajudicial killings could be a conscious and systematic part of the Philippine government's counterinsurgency program and that financial assistance from our government is being used to support, directly or indirectly, those within the PNP and AFP who are responsible for the killings," they said.
Noting that "the AFP and PNP receive a significant amount of aid from the United States to assist in training and professionalizing the Philippine security forces, to combat terrorist groups, and to upgrade military equipment and hardware," they said "the numerous reports that our and other congressional offices receive indicate the need for our close monitoring of this situation, particularly regarding the alleged use of US assistance to implement the abductions and killings."
The letter was initiated by Representatives James L. Oberstar (Democrat-Minnesota) and Joseph R. Pitts (Republican-Pennsylvania) and its signatories included the following chairman of House committees and bodies: Tom Lantos (Democrat-California), Committee on Foreign Affairs; David Obey (Democrat-Wisconsin), Ways and Means Committee; John Lewis (Democrat-Georgia), Oversight Subcommittee; and Mike Honda (Democrat-California), Asian-Pacific American Caucus.
The letter is just the latest in a series of actions by the US Congress to pressure the Philippine government to stop the extrajudicial killings.
Last March, the US Congress held a number of hearings on the issue and invited Filipino activists and church leaders to testify. After that, it included in the Foreign Operations Bill a provision specifying that US military aid to the Philippines cannot be used against Filipino civilians.
"As you may know, there is increasing evidence from well-regarded human rights organizations, including the Melo Commission created by your government, which indicates the involvement of personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP)" in the killings, the solons' letter told Arroyo.
Amnesty International and the United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston have reported similar findings.
According to Philippine-based human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights), since Arroyo became president in 2001 until May 15 this year, there have been 863 extrajudicial executions (including 51 journalists) and 196 abductions.
The Philippines is the largest recipient of US military aid in Asia. This year, the US State Department proposed a total of $11 billion of military aid to the Philippines; this amount has been raised to $30 billion by the US Congress. The bill containing this proposal has not yet been enacted into law.
Described by Oberstar as "a sincere communication between the two governments" intended to elicit a positive response from the Philippine government, the US legislators' letter aired deep concerns over a "growing environment of impunity" in the Philippines.
"The killing of civilians who are peacefully exercising their lawful right in a democratic society to express dissent is a gross violation of universally recognized human rights and international law," it said.
The lawmakers also cited the May 27 abduction of Pastor Berlin Guerrero, who was allegedly beaten by the abductors until he gave them the names of his family, parishioners, friends, and the password to his computer. The abductors reportedly then replaced Guerrero's computer documents with incriminating documentation connecting Guerrero to the underground left.
Guerrero remains detained by the Cavite provincial police.
Reports received by US congressional offices say Guerrero had been tortured while reports from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines said the PNP has pointed to Philippine Navy intelligence units as the ones responsible for the pastor's abduction.
In reaction, the US-based Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines said the Congressional letter represents a growing awareness of US policymakers about the six-year surge of violence against progressive leaders in Philippine civil society.
"But more needs to be done to ensure that US dollars are not supporting security forces in violation of US law," it said.
The Ecumenical Advocacy Network represents a coalition of American and Filipino-American church leaders and human rights advocates throughout the United States, lobbying against human rights violations in the Philippines.
The 49 US lawmakers who signed the letter to Arroyo are:
Brian Baird (Democrat-Washington), Tammy Baldwin (Democrat-Wisconsin), Howard Berman (Democrat-California), Dan Burton (Republican-Indiana), Julia Carson (Democrat-Indiana), Rosa DeLauro (Democrat-Connecticut), Keith Ellison (Democrat-Minnesota), Phil English (Republican-Pennsylvania), Sam Farr (Democrat-California), Chaka Fattah (Democrat-Pennsylvania),
Trent Franks (Democrat-Massachusetts), Raul Grijalva (Democrat-Arizona), Luis Gutierrez (Democrat-Illinois), Maurice Hinchey (Democrat-New York), Mike Honda (Democrat-California), Jesse Jackson (Democrat-Illinois), Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Democrat-Michigan), Mark-Steven Kirk (Republican-Illinois), Dennis Kucinich (Democrat-Ohio), Tom Lantos (Democrat-California),
Rick Larsen (Democrat-Washington), Barbara Lee (Democrat-California), John Lewis (Democrat-Georgia), David Loebsack (Democrat-Iowa) , Zoe Lofgren (Democrat-California), Doris Matsui (Democrat-California), Betty McCollum (Democrat-Minnesota), Jim McDermott (Democrat-Washington), James McGovern (Democrat-Massachusetts), Jerry McNerney (Democrat-California),
Mike McNulty (Democrat-New York), Jerry Moran (Republican-Kansas), James Oberstar (Democrat-Minnesota), David Obey (Democrat-Wisconsin), Donald Payne (Democrat-New Jersey), Collin Peterson (Democrat-Minnesota), Joe Pitts (Republican-Pennsylvania), David Price (Democrat-North Carolina), Jim Ramstad (Republican, Minnesota), Steven Rothman (Democrat-New Jersey),
Bobby Rush (Democrat-Illinois), Jan Schakowsky (Democrat-Illinois), Adam Smith (Democrat-Washington), Fortney Stark (Democrat-California), Ellen Tauscher (Democrat-California), Lee Terry (Republican-Nebraska), John Tierney (Democrat-Massachusetts), Tim Walz (Democrat-Minnesota), and Frank Wolf (Republican-Virginia).
