vonjobi: wow, congratulations! kelan ang trip? i hope i'll be around when you come. had a good time with diosa last...
Keith Bacongco: Knowing Nograles and his Big Boss...garapalan na lang talaga.
Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.

Latest Message 5 months ago

hopeless_race : Lets not just focus sa mga malversation of funds, sa mga overpricing..ating pagtuunan ng atensyon ang diskarte ng mga politiko na umuutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno."Small time" ang ibang pamamaraan ng pangungurakot kumpara sa pag-utang sa gobyerno ng bilyon na tunay ngang masasabing "pinaka big-time" at wala pang sabit.
hopeless_race : Mukhang tikom ang bibig ng lahat pagdating sa diskarte ng mga politiko sa pagutang ng mga bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno na tinatakbuhan. Itong pamamaraan na ito ang tunay na kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng ating national budget batay na din sa sinasabi ng world bank.
hopeless_race : Pakisilip naman po ang mga utang ni Villar sa BSP, ang mga utang nila RAMON JACINTO, RONNIE ZAMORA, JOE DE VENECIA at madami pang ibang mga pulitiko. Iilan lamang yan sa mga nababanggit sa balita na may mga malalaking utang sa gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Nagmimistulang "small time" lamang ang malversation of funds kumpara sa laki ng kinakamal ng mga umuutang sa gobyerno. At ito ay malinaw na natatakbuhan dahil hindi nga naman pwede makulong ang may-ari ng kumpanya sa pagkaka-utang lamang. Tunay na mga tuso at magagaling sa batas itong mga politiko natin. Masasabi ko na malamang lahat ng mga politiko ganito ang diskarte...wala pang kulong.
hopeless_race : PCIJ pkitingnan naman po ang mga gaya ni Villar na my malaking utang sa Gobyerno pero tinatakbuhan. Magtatayo ng kumpanya at uutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno ng walang balak bayaran. Tunay ngang walang nakukulong sa utang...ito ang prinsipyo ginagamit ng mga politiko ntin kaya nakakapagtaka kung san napupunta ang daang bilyong pera ng gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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Slow justice for victims of extrajudicial killings

Posted by: Isa Lorenzo | October 23, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Filed under: Human Rights

THE wheels of justice are grinding excruciatingly slow for victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, according to the Hong Kong Mission for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines.

One of the initial findings of the mission’s second probe is that while the frequency of extrajudicial killings has gone down, there have been no convictions in cases of political killings. “There is very little development in the investigation of these cases,” disclosed the mission of its findings.

In cases of enforced disappearances, it said that the justice system in the country relied heavily on witnesses’ testimonies, but did not provide the “necessary protection mechanisms that should make the system work.”

Read the mission’s initial findings.

The report comes ahead of the expected submission by United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston of his report on the issue of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines to the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights within the week. In his visit to the country in February this year, Alston scored the military for remaining in “a state of almost total denial” on the issue of extrajudicial killings.

The Hong Kong mission conducted a follow-up fact finding probe from October 16-22. It met with families of victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, government agencies including the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Supreme Court (SC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and both components of the joint secretariat of the Joint Monitoring Committee in peace initiatives.

Government authorities told the mission that the refusal of witnesses and their families to cooperate hindered the investigation, while families of victims said that they did not trust the police and other authorities to resolve cases.

Mission member and Asian Human Rights Commission programme coordinator Michael Anthony said there had been no real positive change in the systems of the delivery of justice since he visited the Philippines with the first Hong Kong fact-finding mission in July 2006. (Read the mission’s first report.)

“(T)here’s still no effective investigation, a lack of transparency and failing mechanisms, and there’s been no change to the witness protection system,” Anthony said.

This was echoed by the CHR, which told the mission that there was a breakdown in the justice system, adding that witness protection mechanisms were not functioning.

According to an interim report by Alston, “The properties of the criminal justice system have also been distorted and it has increasingly focused on prosecuting civil society leaders rather than their killers.”

This, along with the government’s counter-insurgency strategy, are key to explaining hundreds of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Alston, the UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, added that the government’s counter-insurgency operations resulted in the extrajudicial execution of leftist activists.

The mission also cited concerns about the lack of forensic evidence used in Task Force Usig investigations. Anthony added that the DND lacked clear accountability structures, investigative mechanisms, and cooperation mechanisms with the police. For example, it could not determine whether or not any cases of serious human rights violations had been handed over to its provost-marshal and internal investigation systems. It also neither confirmed nor denied Alston’s findings that the military was responsible for a large number of the killings.

Much of the meetings with the DND and DOJ, was spent discussing what Anthony calls the “numbers game,” where the talk centered on how many killings there were instead of what was being done to investigate the killings.

Of all the government agencies that the mission met with, only the SC was commended for taking concrete action. Anthony is hopeful that the writs of amparo and habeas data are “strengthening (for) the authorities to provide data where human rights cases are being investigated…these really could provide credible ways in which these cases can be dealt (with).”

The mission, however, also said that it was disappointed to hear that the government may be taking measures to protect the military and police from these writs. This includes Administrative Order 197, which directs the DND and AFP to draft a bill that “safeguards against disclosure of military secrets and undue interference in military operations inimical to national security.”

“If the authorities are not to blame for the killings, as they keep telling us, why would they wish to protect themselves in this way, it doesn’t stand to reason,” says Anthony.

The mission plans to consolidate its findings into a written report. It has sent a list of initial recommendations to the President, AFP, PNP, and DOJ in the form of an open letter. This includes the following:

Ensure that all extra-judicial executions and forced disappearances are immediately ended

Immediately release all people being arbitrarily detained, and improve prison conditions in all of the country’s detention facilities

Ensure the creation of a well-resourced, credible, independent and effective system of witness protection

Immediately and effectively investigate all allegations of human rights violations, making use of physical and forensic evidence as well as testimony from witnesses

Without delay, bring all perpetrators to justice through fair and transparent trials before civilian courts and ensure that adequate reparation is provided to the victims and their families, in line with international standards

Halt the use of blacklists, such as the so-called “Order of Battle” that brand individuals as being “Enemies of the State”

Ensure that individuals and organizations are able to carry out their work in favor of human rights without risks, threats, reprisals or impediments

Improve the transparency and accountability of all State institutions

Resume peace negotiations and at all times respect international humanitarian law and human rights laws and standards

Read the open letter.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 and is filed under Human Rights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.