Philippines defends rights record over US military aid

It is quite unlikely that the US will hold back any substantial military aid. At most they might hold back some as a symbol of disatisfaction on human rights issues. The official certainly has a point about the US human rights record in Guantanamo. However, Blancaflor failed to mention that the filipinos were withdrawn from Iraq ages ago!
Anyway the US is right in this case, the record of the Philippines on human rights can hardly stand scrutiny, especially the armed forces. Arroyo promoted a general who had a horrible human rights record so the human rights office referred to must be packed with Arroyo supporters!

Philippines defends rights record over US military aid: official



Friday, December 21, 2007
MANILA: The Philippines said on Thursday its human rights record “can stand up” to global scrutiny amid reports the US government may hold back on military assistance. Ricardo Blancaflor, who was named as head of a recently created task force to solve political killings, said the Philippines only suffered from bad perceptions carried by the media.

“Our human rights record can stand up to the rest of the world,” Blancaflor said on local television. He said he hoped US legislators would not apply “double standards” in approving military aid for the Philippines, stressing that Manila was closely following cases of human rights abuses and political killings.

Blancaflor noted that Manila did not attach conditions when Washington requested a Philippine contingent to serve in the Iraq war. “We did not tell the Americans, ‘You know we’re going to join you in Iraq provided you don’t do what you are doing in Guantanamo Bay or in Abu Ghraib prison,” Blancaflor said, referring to US detention centres in Cuba and Iraq where human rights abuses against detainees have been documented.

Blancaflor’s comments came after news reports that US legislators had agreed to slightly increase military funding for Manila from $29.7 million this year to 30 million dollars in 2008. But part of the increase was contingent on the Philippines improving its rights record.

US special envoy Philip Alston earlier this month released a damning report blaming the Philippine military for many unsolved killings. His report said soldiers were “systematically hunting down” leaders of left-wing groups as part of its anti-insurgency campaign.

Among those killed, he said, were judges, lawyers, anti-government activists, trade union activists and journalists. Local rights group Kaparatan said the number of extra-judicial killings had dropped to 68 this year from 209 in 2006.

It added that since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in January 2001 up to October this year, a total of 887 killings were reported. Blancaflor defended the military, saying they were the only defence organisation in the world where officers can only be promoted if cleared by a human rights office.

US rights report criticizes Philippines

The Philippine Armed Forces typically blame the Maoist (NPA) for many of the killings. There were some purges in the past but many of the killings are linked to the AFP or police and to particular commanders as well. The rebels have a number of legal fronts and their members are often targets as well as other social activists.


RP considers US rights report as ‘constructive criticism’

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BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

MALACAÑANG yesterday said it considers as "constructive criticism" the 2006 United States Country Report on Human Rights Practices which cited the Philippines for the "climate of impunity" in the murder of journalists, churchmen and political activists.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Philippines continues to uphold democracy and human rights.

The report prepared by the State department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor said many of the killings "went unsolved and unpunished, contributing to a climate of impunity, despite intensified government efforts during the year (2006) to investigate and prosecute these cases."

The report also said "members of the security services committed acts of physical and psychological abuse on suspects and detainees, and there were instances of torture."

It also said the "climate of impunity" in the Philippines was bred in part by "widely held and accurate public perception" that the 115,000-man PNP was corrupt.

It noted policemen were regularly accused of torture, of soliciting bribes, and of other illegal acts, although there are efforts to reform the institution to "counter a widespread impression of official impunity."

"The Philippine government is carrying the agenda of President Arroyo on unexplained killings forward by setting up special courts, fielding special prosecutors, protecting witnesses, and instituting strict internal controls within the military and police," Bunye said.

He added that the government has also intensified and strengthened its "legal, counterpropaganda and operational measures" against members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army "to end the trail of mass murder and mayhem the revolutionary left has inflicted upon our people."

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier said the report was merely an attempt to call the attention of the Philippines to the human rights issue.

The defense department disputed the report.

Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Caroliona said the killings are not happening with impunity.

Carolina said some soldiers have been involved in extra-judicial killings in the 1980s "but they (soldiers) did it out of the chain of command. They did it on their own."

"We are not saying it’s zero but it is not on a scale that is being painted by the Left. It (extra judicial killings) is not with impunity and it is not a policy, a national policy and defense police," he said.

Carolina noted the defense and military establishments have been stressing, through verbal and written communications, to the officers and men, to abide by the provisions of the human rights and international humanitarian law.