US lawmakers ‘satisfied’ with govt efforts in addressing human rights — PHL envoy

(Updated 1:30 p.m.) Members of the US House of Representatives were “satisfied” with the efforts being undertaken by the Aquino administration in addressing human rights situation in the country, the Philippines’ top diplomat to Washington said Monday.

In a statement from Washington, Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia said American legislators led by Kentucky Rep. Harold Rogers, chair of the powerful House committee on appropriations, expressed satisfaction with the report given by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on the progress that Manila has made in the human rights front.

De Lima is in Washington to lead government efforts in raising the awareness of American legislators as well as officials of the Department of State and the Department of Defense and leaders of non-government agencies on the human rights achievements of President Benigno Aquino III.

The visit of De Lima comes in the wake of Manila’s recent success at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva where the Philippines was able to demonstrate improvements in its human rights record.

“We think we were able to bring our message across that the Philippines has been making significant progress as far as the human rights situation is concerned and that the Philippine government continues to take concrete steps to address human rights issues,” Cuisia said.

US lawmakers have long expressed concern with the human rights condition in the Philippines, particularly the unresolved cases of extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by local security forces.

At present, a former Army general wanted for the disappearance of two student activists in June 2006 remains at large.

A $3-million assistance to the Philippine military is also being withheld by the US Congress until Manila meets certain conditions related to solving and prosecuting cases of extrajudicial killings.

Such assistance is deemed crucial to the government’s current efforts in upgrading the capability of its military, perceived to be one of region’s weakest, in protecting its territorial waters, including in the West Philippine Sea, where neighboring states and China have competing claims.

In addition to Congressman Rogers, De Lima also met with the following members of the House committee on appropriations and committee on foreign affairs: Rep. Tom Marino (R, Pennsylvania); Rep. Steve Austria (R, Ohio); Rep. Ed Royce (R, California); Rep. Mike Kelley (R, Pennsylvania); Rep. Tom Cole (R, Oklahoma); Rep. Donald Manzullo (R, Illinois).

De Lima is scheduled to meet members of the US Senate this week.

Cuisia said the American legislators “all expressed their support for the efforts of the Philippine government to improve its human rights record.”

“I am very pleased to learn about the progress being made by the Philippines and I will bring this to the attention of my colleagues,” Marino, a member of the House Sub-Committee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, told De Lima.

He added the US should “assist true allies who promote human rights, observe the rule of law and dismantle organized crimes.”

‘Culture of impunity’

Since Aquino assumed the presidency in 2010, the United Nations acknowledged the significant decrease in reported incidents of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

However, the US and the European Union still complained of the existing “culture of impunity” and other human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by the military against left-wing activists and even journalists.

The Philippines’ human rights record had been scrutinized at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva during its Universal Periodic Review in May wherein several countries raised alarm over the continuing killings, disappearances, and torture.

Aquino has assured that his government will be relentless in its efforts to pursue those responsible for such crimes and bring them to justice.

De Lima told legislators that the government has recently come up with a unified protocol, called Operational Guidelines in Evidence-Gathering, Investigation and Case Build-up in Cases of Political and Media Killings, to address the problem.

“As an innovative measure, prosecutors are also now working closely with law enforcers in evidence gathering and case build-up,” she added.

De Lima also said a special task force has been formed to oversee the investigation and prosecution of extra-judicial cases and other human rights violations.

Extrajudicial killings

The human rights group, Karapatan, however, said that the number of human rights violations in the Philippines continue to rise under the Aquino administration despite positive pronouncements from government officials.

Based on Karapatan’s latest records, 99 cases of extrajudicial killings have already been recorded since Aquino took over the presidency in July 2010. The group also recorded 11 cases of enforced disappearances during this period.

The human rights group also noted how the government has failed to punish any perpetrator of these human rights violations.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, meanwhile, monitored 13 instances of journalist killings under Aquino’s two-year-old administration.

In his first State of the Nation Address in 2010, the President pledged to punish perpetrators of extrajudicial killings during his term. — with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News