EU support for PHL’s rights project to continue–envoy

DESPITE the euro-zone crisis, the head of the European Union in the Philippines said it will not reduce grants on human rights in the Philippines, currently at P128 million, as the situation has not improved in terms of prosecuting those behind the extra-judicial killings, torture and disappearances.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said the passage of laws on human rights are not enough noting that the government “needs to be proactive in terms of implementing the laws.”

Ledoux on Monday met with leaders of Task Force Detainees-Philippines (TFDP) and Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra) on the eve of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on the Philippines to be held on May 29 at the United Nations Human Rights Council headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ledoux said the EU welcomes the Philippines’s ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court that punishes war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity as well as its accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment.

“We have witnessed progress put in the legislative field, however, in the field of addressing extra-judicial killings [and other forms of human-rights abuses] the government should take additional effort to make sure the judicial process is completely done…that includes the arrest and prosecution of those behind these [cases],” said Ledoux in an interview at the sidelines of the dialogue held at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Shrine in Quezon City.

In his speech during the dialogue, the EU envoy said, “while significant progress has been made in the area of human rights, more need to be done to effectively tackle shortcomings, notably in the area of impunity, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.”

“It is my conviction that in order to deter human-rights abuses, a strong, effective enforceable and accessible justice system is crucial,” said Ledoux in his speech, adding, “if justice is done, by means of a thorough and fair process and followed by the conviction of criminals, this will send a strong signal to the potential perpetrators that they will be punished for their crimes.”

He also assured that the regional bloc, one of the biggest grant provider in the fields of human rights will not reduce grant allocation for the Philippines despite the lingering euro-zone crisis that continue to cripple many rich economies in Europe.

The EU has a total of P128 million worth of grants for 10 human-rights projects in the Philippines under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights.

Ledoux said the grant allocation on human rights for the Philippines is part of the long-term budget planning for the period 2007-13, as he added that “there is no plan to amend this current program.”

He said the grants are being provided to improve the human-rights situation in the Philippines based on the EU core values promoting human rights, democracy and rule of law, as he stressed that “its counterproductive to reduce these grants that aim to improve the human-rights situation in the Philippines.”

Pahra Executive Director Max de Mesa, meanwhile, said the Aquino administration seems to be “better than the last administration… [but] in terms of resolving rights abuse cases, they remain the same.”

He said at the top level, the Aquino administration has been pushing for the improvement of human-rights situation in the country through passage of laws that promote human rights.

“But on the ground, nothing has changed as the cases have only been filed and no prosecution since then against the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and other forms of abuses,” said de Mesa.

He said instead of pushing for command responsibility, or leaders owning up to the cases of rights abuses, “there are now rampant cases of command conspiracy where leaders cover up the abuses of their officers on the ground.” –Estrella Torres / Reporter, Businessmirror