Swiss leader urges RP Congress to approve HR bill

MANILA, Philippines – Swiss President Pascal Couchepin said during a meeting with President Arroyo in Malacañang yesterday that his government expects the Philippine Congress to pass the human rights compensation bill for victims of the Marcos dictatorship.

Couchepin, who is on a two-day state visit, also assured Mrs. Arroyo of the Swiss government’s support for efforts of the Philippine government to recover the ill-gotten assets of the late president in Switzerland and in third countries.

In 2003, the Swiss banking system transferred to the Philippine government $683 million of ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

When the funds were finally transferred from the Philippine National Bank to the national treasury in 2004, the amount had already gone up to $718 million from interest earned.

While it has been determined that the human rights victims under the Marcos regime deserve a part of the ill-gotten wealth recovered by the government, an enabling law is needed to carry this out.

Republic Act 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, mandates that all of the recovered wealth of the Marcoses be used for agrarian reform.

Mrs. Arroyo informed the Swiss President that her administration attaches great importance to the speedy passage of the law so that the human rights victims would be justly compensated.

The President told her Swiss counterpart that the House of Representatives is set to pass its version of the bill while the Senate had already approved the measure last December.

Congress almost passed the bill in the 13th Congress but the two chambers failed to ratify the measure when they adjourned.

During the meeting, Mrs. Arroyo and Couchepin agreed to continue bilateral cooperation on matters of mutual interest between the two countries, including cooperation on federalism and multiculturalism between the Swiss Institute for Federalism and the Center for Local and Regional Governance of the University of the Philippines; the training of Filipino professionals and technicians in Switzerland; the activities of Swiss NGOs with their local partners in the field of development cooperation supported by the Swiss government; and maintaining high-level exchange of visits and continuing the bilateral political consultations initiated in 2000.

Bilateral trade, which has reached an estimated $300 million, has been tipped in favor of Switzerland.

The two leaders agreed that there are several opportunities available for the private sector to enhance trade between the two countries.

Swiss companies have also contributed to the economy of the Philippines with around 60 firms present, employing more than 10,000 people and whose investments amount to $2 billion.

Couchepin lauded the Philippine economy for its robust performance and told Mrs. Arroyo that Swiss companies are expected to expand their business in the country.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo received another visiting leader, Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta at Malacañang yesterday.

Ramos-Horta arrived in the country last Sunday for a state visit, which will last until Thursday.

The President assured Ramos-Horta of the Philippines’ support for his country’s bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by 2012.

In their meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of three agreements on strengthening cooperation and mutual assistance between the Philippines and East Timor on education and marine and fisheries as well as on the training of diplomats.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo meanwhile disclosed that Ramos-Horta has reiterated his support for the bid of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to the International Court of Justice.

In turn, Mrs. Arroyo told her counterpart that the Philippines would back Timor Leste’s bid to join the ASEAN.

Warning vs using religion to advance a cause

In a public lecture yesterday, Ramos-Horta cautioned against the use of religion to press forward any cause to prevent an eruption of unnecessary violence against innocent people in the struggle to attain peace between political foes.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner stressed the importance of “relentless dialogue,” shunning the use of force to comprehensively resolve a conflict.

Ramos-Horta’s pronouncement came on the heels of escalating violence in Mindanao, particularly North Cotabato, between the military and separatist Muslim rebels.

“We never manipulate religion one way or another…. We never used religion to advance a cause,” Ramos-Horta stressed during the public forum hosted by the University of the Philippines College of Law as part of the university’s centennial celebration.

Ramos-Horta cited the struggle of East Timor, a predominantly Catholic country, against the largely Muslim Indonesian invaders which, he said, indicated gains of separating religion from politics. – With Katherine Adraneda