Philippine News Digest 58
Week: July 15 -22, 2003
Contents:
Equality
Now airs concern over role of US military in rights
violations
85
dead in vigilante-related killings in Davao since January
Supreme
Court rules gov't owns ill-gotten money
Equality
Now airs concern over role of US military in rights violations
In a letter circulated by Equality Now to its supporters, the
international organization aired concerns that the Unites States military
is not widely perceived as a force for the protection and promotion of
human rights, particularly the rights of women. It says that in South
Korea, US military forces directly participates in the commercial sex
industry by assigning American “Courtesy Patrol” officers to local
bars to facilitate access to prostitution for US servicemen. Many of the
women in these bars are victims of trafficking, with at least 5,000 women
trafficked to South Korea alone to serve in the sex industry catering to
the 37,000 US military personnel stationed in the country. Equality Now
says this conduct is not only a violation of applicable laws and
regulations, but also a demonstration of the profound disrespect for
women. It is now calling on the United States Government to institute and
enforce a zero-tolerance policy prohibiting the participation of US
military forces in the commercial sexual exploitation of women.
85
dead in vigilante-related killings in Davao since January
Eighty five people,
including four minors, have been killed in drug-related killings in Davao
City since the start of the year, according to police reports. None of
these killings had been solved and none of the motorcycle-riding gunmen
executing suspected drug pushers and users had been arrested, which
prompted the city council to summon Senior Supt. Conrado Laza, city police
director. During the question hour, Laza denied the existence of the Davao
Death Squad despite the earlier confirmation by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Rumors were rife that the operation of the Davao Death Squad had the
blessings of the police which is why none of them have been arrested to
date. Source: PDI
Mindanao Bureau, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 17 July 2003.
Supreme
Court rules gov't owns ill-gotten money
The Philippine Supreme Court
declared on July 15 ill-gotten the Marcos family's $682 million as of June
30 in Swiss bank accounts now deposited in an escrow account of the
Philippine National Bank. The decision came after the Sandiganbayan gave
the government control of the United Coconut Planters Bank that had been
taken over by Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., a known crony of the former dictator.
The SC's decision was hailed by the Presidential Commission on Good
Government as the “biggest” case it has won against the Marcoses.
President Arroyo, on her part, said that “the high court ruling should
also give impetus to the landmark legislation pending in Congress to
allocate part of the funds for human rights victims under martial law.” Source:
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 July 2003.
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