US Accuses RP Gov't Forces of Murder, Torture, Corruption
Published in Philippine Daily Inquirer
(April 27, 2000)
WASHINGTON -- The Philippnes' security forces continue to murder and torture communist and Moro rebels fighting in Mindanao and are plagued by corruption, the United States said Friday.
"Members of the security services were responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other physical abuse of suspects and detainees," the US State Department said its annual worldwide survey of human rights."
It added:" Sporadic clashes between government forces and the main communist insurgent group led to a variety of human rights abuses by both sides. Police corruption remains a problem.
The report said the Philippine National Police was the nation's "leading abuser of human rights," followed by the communist-led ew People's Army, and trhe Armed Forces of the Philippines.
"Some abuses were committed by the police and military personnel while involved in criminal activities such as kidnap gangs, drug trafficking and illegal logging," the report said.
"Poilce leaders at times appeared to sanction brutality and extralegal killings as expedient means of fighting crime."
The report counted 185 extrajudicial killings in 1999, including those by rebels, compared to 201 in 1998.
It noted that the non governmental Task Force Detainees of the Philippines had reported that 18 civilians were killed for political reasons form mid-1998 to June. Of these, it said, 11 were victims of extrajudivial executions carried out by government forces.
The report added the government had taken "few effective steps to stop military and police abuses" or to reform security forces.
It singled out a case in April when Chief Supt. Panfilo Lacson, head of the Elite Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, won a dismissal of murder charges against himself and 25 police colleagues for their alleged involvement in the Kuratong Baleleng killings.
Lacson was subsequently promoted by President Estrada to head the PNP.
The report added that the court system also remained susceptible to the influence of the weaqlthy and powerful, was under-resourced, and prone to delays.
