HR watchdog: Phl makes little progress against rights violations

MANILA, Philippines – The New York-based Human Rights Watch said yesterday that the Aquino administration has made little progress in addressing impunity for serious human rights violations despite promises of reform.

Following the Philippines’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) submission, the human rights watchdog pointed to impunity for unexplained killings and enforced disappearances, “private armies” and state-backed militias, violations of international humanitarian law, “death squads,” sexual and reproductive rights and migrant workers’ rights as among the country’s main concerns.

Scrutiny of the Philippines is part of the UPR, a new UN mechanism used in assessing the human rights record of all United Nations member states.

The human rights watchdog said unexplained killings of leftist activists and petty criminals continue, with the government failing to address involvement by security forces and local officials.

Human Rights Watch said the Philippines is a multiparty democracy with an elected president and legislature, a thriving civil society sector, and a vibrant media, “but several key institutions including the civilian and military justice systems remain weak, and the military and police still commit human rights violations with impunity.”

In the previous UPR in 2008, the Philippines committed to implement recommendation 6 to “completely eliminate torture and extrajudicial killings” and to “intensify its efforts to carry out investigations and prosecutions on extrajudicial killings and punish those responsible.”

The Philippines has not yet implemented the recommendation to sign and ratify the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Although the number of killings has decreased since President Aquino took office in June 2010, Human Rights Watch documented in mid-2011 at least seven unexplained killings and three enforced disappearances during his administration, with significant evidence of military involvement.

The group reported that a damaging climate of impunity persists in the Philippines. Out of hundreds of unexplained killings and enforced disappearances since 2001, there have been only seven successfully prosecuted cases resulting in the conviction of 12 people.

The watchdog said police investigations remain inadequate, with investigators frequently not visiting crime scenes or collecting only the most obvious evidence.

“Evidence of military involvement is routinely not pursued, investigations cease after the identification of one suspect, and arrest warrants frequently go unexecuted. Witnesses are also not adequately protected,” it added.

The Philippine government, it said, has failed to seriously investigate atrocities by powerful ruling families, ban abusive militia forces, or curtail access of officials to military weaponry.

In several provinces, ruling families continue to use paramilitary forces and local police as their “private armies.”

Human Rights Watch said that the starkest reminder of this problem is the November 2009 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province on the southern island of Mindanao, allegedly by the local governing family using police, military, and paramilitary personnel.

The group recognizes that the Philippines continues to face genuine internal security threats. The government still defends the use of paramilitary forces to fight New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents and Islamist armed groups.

“However, Philippine history shows that substituting professional armed forces and police with heavily armed and barely trained civilians is dangerous and counterproductive.”

In October 2011, Human Rights Watch noted that Aquino announced the deployment of additional paramilitary personnel to provide security to mining companies.

Philippine security forces, the NPA and various Moro armed groups continue to be implicated in serious violations of international humanitarian law, including unlawful killings and attacks on civilians.

Human Rights Watch also reported on the NPA’s summary executions and use of “people’s tribunals” that do not respect basic fair trial rights against alleged “enemies of the people.”

The Philippine military continued to use school buildings and school grounds to establish bases and barracks, contrary to national legislation prohibiting such use.

“This practice endangers students’ and teachers’ security, as well as children’s right to education,” it added.

“Death squads” operating in Davao City, General Santos City, Digos City, Tagum City, and Cebu City target mostly poor and marginalized victims, such as alleged petty criminals, drug dealers, gang members, and street children.

Human Rights Watch urged Philippine security forces and non-state armed groups to take all necessary measures to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and appropriately discipline those responsible for abuses regardless of rank or position. –Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star)