EU gives P600m more to help end political killings in Philippines

EU gives P 600 million more after praising result of P 234 million given in 2009 to end political killings in the Philippines

Manila: The European Union (EU) has given P 600 million (Dh 50 million) more to the Philippine government after it has expressed satisfaction with the results of the P 234 million (Dh 19.5 million) fund that was extended to authorities in 2009 to help end political killings in the Philippines, foreign and local officials said.

This was done despite claims of the New York-based Human Rights Watch that the culture of impunity has not changed in the Philippines.

Ambassador Guy Ledoux, head of the EU Delegation expressed satisfaction that 90 cases of extra judicial killings occurred during the first year of President Benigno Aquino, in comparison with the 139 cases of extrajudicial killing that occurred every year during the time of former President Gloria Arroyo.

The impact of the changes and reforms brought about by EU’s assistance is “long term and will only be felt over time,” explained Ledoux.

EU has sent Ledoux to look into the progress of the EU-Philippines Justice Support Program (EPJSP), which began in November 2009 and will end on July 31 this year.

After EU has provided forensic equipment and crime scene kits, Philippine investigators have improved their way of gathering evidences involving cases of extra-judicial killings, assessed Ledoux during a meeting with Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in suburban Quezon City.

The program has trained police officers, prosecutors and judges on inter-institutional coordination, criminal intelligence, personal safety and witness protection, Ledoux said, adding the poor and vulnerable (victims of human rights violations in the Philippines) have benefited from this kind of training.

In appreciation of EU’s assistance, Police Chief Bacalzo predicted, “The end of this program will bring efficient and positive results.”

EU’s assistance has further strengthened PNP’s commitment to deliver a more credible, reliable and effective service to the public, said Bacalzo.
EU’s assistance has improved the quality of investigations of cases of political killings. This has helped government prosecutors, public attorneys, and judges a lot, said Justice Secretary de Lima.
“This is a big step for the country to move forward towards ending the culture of impunity that plagues the justice system,” she added.

EU’s assistance began when the Philippine government requested for technical assistance in addressing the problem of extra-judicial killings, during the time of former president Arroyo.

Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watchdog earlier said, “There is a continued pattern of extra-judicial killings of leftist activists (during the time of Aquino).”

In a 98-page report, HRW deputy director in Asia, Elaine Pearson said that soldiers who were identified for the killing of seven activists and the disappearance of three others last year were not yet punished.

“What we’ve seen is that in many ways, the pattern remains the same,” said Pearson, adding that Philippine soldiers could not yet distinguish leftist activists from communist rebels who have been waging armed struggle for more than 40 years.

About 57 people, including 37 journalists were killed in elections-related incidents that involved warring Filipino-Muslim political families in the south in November 2009. –Barbara Mae Dacanay, Bureau Chief