Militants to give Melo Commission a chance

In what could be a slight change of heart, militant groups decided to support the presidential commission in its probe on the spate of killings of activists and journalists.

But they made a fervent appeal to retired Supreme Court justice Jose Melo, as chairman of the five-man commission, not to give them false hopes.

Fernando Hicap, chairman of the militant fisher folk group Pamalakaya, said the Melo Commission should immediately determine the state policy on activists and left-leaning organizations, which some security officials perceive as enemies of the State.

The group drew up a list of ranking military and security officials that Melo may summon to the commission’s probe.

Hicap said the military and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales should explain "Oplan Bantay Laya," an alleged plan by security forces to assassinate activists and critics of the Arroyo administration.

Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, one of the members of the Melo Commission, said they would invite leaders of militant groups to brief the panel over the allegations.

Pueblos said the commission could possibly invite some from the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and "consider some information from them (rebels)."

"It is a possibility," Pueblo stressed, "for the sake of fairness and since we, as an independent commission, have the task to look at all sides — left, right and moderate."

Melo earlier declared there will be no sacred cows in their investigation over the killings.

He said even President Arroyo herself and Northern Luzon military commander Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan could be investigated in connection with the political killings.

Militant groups maintained Palparan is behind the killings.

Notwithstanding the declaration by Melo, some militant groups are still hesitant to cooperate. Pamalakaya, for instance, pointed out the presence of the so-called "Arroyo boys" in the Melo Commission was "discouraging and disgusting" since they would only spoil whatever the investigating body would try to achieve.

The Melo Commission is composed of Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nestor Mantaring, University of the Philippines (UP) Regent Nelia Gonzalez and Pueblos, who replaced Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio, who had declined to serve in the team.

Pamalakaya said Mantaring and Zuño were placed by Malacañang in the commission "to put obstacles on what Melo intends to do."

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), on the other hand, called on Melo to make a full disclosure of his links to Malacañang.

"He (Melo) should begin by making public the circumstances of his appointment to PNB (Philippine National Bank) and the income he receives from that position," ACT chairman Antonio Tinio said.

"Obviously, this information will have a bearing on the credibility of the Melo commission. To put it bluntly: can the public expect an impartial investigation from a pampered friend of Malacañang?" Tinio asked.

ACT claimed Melo had been appointed by the President as chairman of the Board of Advisors of the PNB following his retirement from the Supreme Court in 2002.

"Justice Melo says there will be no sacred cows in his investigation of political killings, even if it leads to Mrs. Arroyo herself. But are we hearing this from a Malacañang-appointed fat cat?" Tinio asked.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, for his part, noted the Melo commission has all the power at its disposal to achieve the goal of its investigation.

The Arroyo critic claimed the Melo commission "is something very different" since it is required by Malacañang and expected to do nothing less than investigate the hundreds of murders since Mrs. Arroyo assumed power in 2001.

Congress, however, is virtually helpless in its investigation into the killings.

This developed as ranking officials of the Armed of the Philippines (AFP) and the NBI snubbed the joint committee hearing at the House of Representatives conducting an inquiry into the murders.

The officials who were summoned to appear but did not show up at yesterday’s hearing include Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, NBI director Mantaring and Palparan.

Cruz and the other officials had collectively invoked Memorandum Circular 108, the implementing rules of Executive Order 464, which bars members of the Cabinet, government officials and ranking officers of AFP and the police from appearing before a congressional inquiry without permission from the President. — With Edu Punay, Sandy Araneta, Delon Porcalla, Eva Visperas