US worried over rights, killings

The US government has expressed concern over reports of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations in the Philippines.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney told The STAR yesterday that she had relayed the concern to government officials in Manila, who assured her that the problem was being addressed.

She said she read reports on the human rights situation in the country prepared by groups including Amnesty International as well as stories in the local media.

"It’s not my job, it’s not our job to investigate, but it is an important thing. You want people to feel very comfortable offering alternative views, whether they’re a journalist or (a member of) an NGO," she told The STAR in an interview at the ambassador’s residence in Forbes Park in Makati City.

She made the statement a few days after another journalist was murdered, and a day after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) admitted raiding the home of a supporter of deposed President Joseph Estrada and apprehending five men meeting there.

A policeman was arrested yesterday in connection with the murder of Palawan radio broadcaster and former Puerto Princesa City vice mayor Fernando Batul.

The AFP said Estrada’s supporters, including the occupant of the house, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in a communist plot to assassinate several Cabinet members including Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales.

The Department of Justice ordered the release of the five yesterday after they were charged with rebellion. The five denied the accusations and said they would file charges of torture and arbitrary arrest against their captors who belonged to the Intelligence Service of the AFP.

Militant groups and the political opposition have accused the administration of orchestrating "creeping" militarization or martial law.

Kenney said yesterday she had not heard the term but was worried by reports of extrajudicial killings.

"I think human rights are always critical," she said.

She acknowledged the efforts being undertaken by the government to address the problem.

"I know the government has formed a commission to work on this and I think that’s important. You have to look into these things as a government and make clear that it’s not acceptable," she said.

The administration came under fire from human rights advocates after President Arroyo declared a state of national emergency in February amid reports of an alleged plot hatched by an alliance of communists and military extremists to topple the government.

The plot was supposed to be carried out on Feb. 25, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the first people power revolt that toppled the dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the President’s power to declare a state of national emergency but ruled that certain measures implemented in connection with the order, including a raid on a newspaper office and the arrest of street marchers, were unconstitutional.

Kenney said she had discussed the human rights concerns with several Philippine officials.

"Every member of the government I talked to is also concerned and so they’re working on investigating this," she said. "The answers I’ve gotten back from them very candidly are very good answers."

Journalists’ groups have decried the failure of the government to solve many of the killings. About 70 journalists have been murdered in the country since democracy was restored in 1986. International press groups have ranked the Philippines as the second most dangerous place in the world for journalists after Iraq, and the most "murderous."

Human rights groups have also expressed alarm over a spate of killings of militant activists across the country. The AFP said the killings were due to an ongoing purge in the communist rebel movement. Militants have denied this and accused the AFP of carrying out the killings.