Statement – Karapatan's reaction to Amnesty International Report on the Philippines

The Philippine human rights organization Karapatan concurs with the conclusions made by Amnesty International on the alarming increase in the number of killings of political and community activists. We would like to stress however that apart from activists, there is a broad range of people being executed under Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's undeclared martial law.

Killings, disappearances, political persecution and attacks on our civil liberties have been prevailing for five and a half years of the Arroyo regime.

With the Arroyo regime's Oplan Bantay Laya, a five-year (2002-2006) "end game strategy" to dismantle the Communist Party of the Philippines, National Democratic Front of the Philippines, New People's Army and the Mindanao Secessionist Groups, civilians bear the brunt of the attacks. 725 civilians were killed arbitrarily, 307 among them activists belonging to various cause-oriented groups and progressive organizations. It also produced 262,908 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 221 cases of forcible evacuation, displacement and demolition.

As to prosecution of cases, we highly doubt if the Philippine government will ever have that genuine political will because it is now obvious that the killings and disappearances are a state policy. We view Mrs. Arroyo's announcement of ten cases to be resolved in ten weeks as a ploy to wipe the blood of Arroyo's hands and douse public condemnation of these human rights violations committed under her watch. Therefore, families of victims and Karapatan have been calling for an independent commission to investigate the killings. We likewise urge Amnesty International to send a mission to the Philippines in the light of the worsening human rights situation in the country.

It is impossible for the peace process between revolutionary organizations and the Philippine government to prosper within the climate of state terror but Karapatan expresses hope that the Filipino people will dismantle Arroyo's martial law.

Karapatan also expressed hope that the parties in the armed conflict, especially the government, would abide by the International Humanitarian Laws and that the CARHRIHL (Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law) signed by the NDFP and GRP would be honored and seriously enforced.

Ruth Cervantes
KARAPATAN Public Information Officer
#34B Maamo Street, Sikatuna Village
Quezon City Philippines 1101