Activists want foreign aid to Arroyo government cut

MANILA, Philippines – Activists from various organizations called on foreign donors yesterday to stop giving military assistance to the Philippines in the wake of the findings of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Extra judicial Killings that President Arroyo failed to make “substantial progress” to stop unexplained killings in the country.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the umbrella organization of various militant groups, said the US government under Barack Obama “should cut any form of military aid to the Arroyo regime in the light of the Alston findings.”

“The European Union (EU) should also reconsider its aid for the Arroyo regime. Foreign aid at this point only helps the Arroyo regime carry out its policies of repression,” said Renato Reyes Jr., Bayan secretary general.

Reyes said retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan “is the best reminder that justice for human rights victims has never been a priority under the Arroyo regime.”

He said Palparan has set the “trend” since no ranking officer of the Armed Force of the Philippines has ever been prosecuted under the Arroyo administration in relation to cases of human rights violations in the country.

“The Arroyo government has offered him several government posts in the past. The government failed to prosecute him despite credible findings by the Melo Commission, the Court of Appeals, and Alston himself,” he said.

Reyes said the Arroyo government has “practically ignored” most of the recommendations of Alston that were submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

He noted that the P25-million reward fund of the government is mere publicity gimmick that would not lead to successful prosecutions.

He stressed that activists are still being killed every month, while scores of others are facing trumped-up charges of murder and rebellion.

“Cause-oriented groups are still being labeled as communist fronts of the New People’s Army. The counter-insurgency policy Oplan Bantay Laya remains. The Inter-Agency Legal Action Group remains,” he said.–Katherine Adraneda, Philippine Star