In an impromptu press conference here after she voted in the re-scheduled barangay elections in her hometown of Lubao, the President made the appeal in reaction to calls for a probe of the alleged shooting by an American soldier of a suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit in Tuburan, Basilan on Thursday.
The Chief Executive said she had already ordered Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes to look into the shooting which left-leaning groups said was a violation of the human rights of a suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit.
"Angie Reyes will take care that. But where’s the burden of proof?" Mrs. Arroyo asked.
She also expressed disappointment that leftist groups and their foreign friends are unduly interested in defending the rights of Abu Sayyaf bandits but ignoring the abuses the Abu Sayyaf Islamist rebels have committed against ordinary civilians.
"Why are they not looking into the violations of the Abu Sayyaf?" the President asked.
She cited the case of Basilan residents who were raped and beheaded in September last year.
"The Abu Sayyaf raided the homes of about 20 families and raped the women while beheading the men," Mrs. Arroyo said, adding that she will present the victims themselves in a press conference at Malacañang today.
"I encourage the (other) rape victims of the Abu Sayyaf to file cases against them," she said, adding that she has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to appoint a special prosecutor to facilitate criminal cases against the Abu Sayyaf.
The President called Justice Undersecretary Manuel Teehankee to appoint Prosecutor Leo Decera, who used to head the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program, to handle the case.
The President made the remarks a day after Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza charged that an American soldier shot and wounded suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit Buyong Buyong Isnijal in Tuburan, Basilan on Thursday.
"The report is incorrect. It’s not true," said Maj. Richard Sater, senior spokesman for US Task Force 510. He also denied that there was a serviceman named Reggie Lane among the 1,000 US troopers now in Zamboanga City and Basilan.
The AFP also reiterated that the incident was only a propaganda ploy by leftist groups that brought a group foreigners to protest against joint RP-US military exercises.
"This is all propaganda by militant groups... They just want to build up a case to foster their propaganda plans," said AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Danilo Servando.
"We deny the incident. Even the American forces in Basilan are denying the incident," he added.
Servando maintained that no American soldier was involved in the operation conducted by the Charlie Company of the 18th Infantry Battalion to arrest Isnijal.
Servando said a Garand rifle was confiscated from Isnijal and that he even resisted arrest and tried to grab the M-16 Armalite of one of the Filipino soldiers, prompting him to shoot the suspected bandit in the leg.
AFP Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Ernesto Carolina said that if it were really true that there was a violation of Isnijal’s human rights, the lawmaker should have filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights instead of issuing a press release.
"There is a Commission on Human Rights to do the job. They are giving raw information openly which should not be the case," Carolina said.
Carolina explained that Lamitan curé Rev. Cirilo Nacorda positively identified Isnijal as an Abu Sayyaf bandit and that his wife and relatives were only making up stories to secure Isnijal’s release.
In a statement, Ocampo said "it was despicable and illegal that the military is disregarding all legal processes to justify what they did to a Filipino civilian."
"We cannot and will not immediately accept the military’s word that any Filipino is an Abu Sayyaf without them first providing concrete and undeniable proof," Ocampo said.
"Currently there are 73 other civilians being held in Bicutan jail and in the Lamitan jail on the mere suspicion of being Abu Sayyaf. There have been no conclusive evidence against these civilians because the military has not been able to produce them. No formal charges have been filed against these civilians and all due process has been completely denied them," he added.
Ocampo said members of the foreign delegation he brought to Basilan have sent a letter to Carolina and US Marine Brig. Gen. Daniel Wurster, commander of US Task Force 510, to demand the immediate surrender of the American soldier they accused of shooting the suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit.
Ocampo said the letter was signed by civil rights lawyer David Pugh, filmmaker Malcom Guy, nun Mary Ann Grenough, pastor Dan Dale, union steward Amanda Vender, journalist Scott Schaeffer and schoolteacher David Hungerford, all American members of the group called "International Solidarity Mission against US Armed Intervention in the Philippines."
Pugh said he found it contemptible that Carolina and the Philippine military are defending and trying to justify the illegal actions and human rights violations being perpetrated by US troops.
"They’re eager to defend the American soldiers at the expense of Filipino civilians. Carolina is lawyering for the US troops. It’s a complete betrayal of the Filipino people. As for the American military command, its shameful that its trying to cover up for its men," Pugh said. - With Christina Mendez, Roel Pareño