Independent Body to Probe Political Killings Pushed

BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO

Bulatlat

Posted 2:43 p.m., May 16, 2006

Various cause-oriented organizations and progressive party-list groups have called for the formation of an independent body to investigate the spate of political killings under the Arroyo administration.

In a press conference this morning in Quezon City, Bayan Muna (People First) Rep. Joel Virador announced that he will file a resolution at the House of Representatives to call for the setting-up of such a commission. “This commission must be composed of personages that have indisputable credibility and character,” he said.

Virador added that the commission should include representatives from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR); as well as retired Supreme Court justices, among others. 

Based on data from the human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), there has been a total of 585 political killings since 2001 – the year that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was catapulted to power through a popular uprising. Of the 585, Karapatan data further show, 221were confirmed to be affiliated with cause-oriented groups. Ninety-three of the victims were Bayan Muna members.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno announced Friday the formation of a task force composed of top Philippine National Police (PNP) officials to investigate the series of political killings. The task force is headed by Deputy Director-General Avelino Razon Jr., PNP deputy chief for operations; with Dir. Jesus Versoza, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and S/Supt. Romeo Ricardo, officer-in-charge of the Intelligence Group (IG) among others as members.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, has expressed willingness to cooperate in the investigation. “We are ready all the time,” AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jose Honrado told media last Sunday.

But even before investigations could begin, Lt. Gen. Pedro Cabuay – chief of the military’s Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) – had already said that the killings could be a result of purges within the Left. “If there is a group that should be blamed, it is the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) because we know that they kill their own comrades,” he said in a radio interview yesterday.

Razon has made a pronouncement that 25 of the killings were committed by soldiers and paramilitary groups, while 13 may have been results of a purge within communist ranks.

Bayan Muna secretary-general Nathanael Santiago, who was also at the press conference, disputed Cabuay’s statement. “In all investigations of the Bayan Muna killings, we have not encountered any evidence – whether direct or circumstantial – that points to the CPP-NPA as perpetrators,” he said.

“They have laid down the verdict even before beginning the investigation,” Karapatan secretary-general Marie Hilao-Enriquez said.

“Razon’s script, which says that it is the CPP-NPA that killed our colleagues, is intended to let President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo escape responsibility, as commander-in-chief of the AFP and the PNP, in these cruel and barbaric killings of our colleagues,” Santiago said. Bulatlat

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