KARAPATAN says independent investigation on killings and disappearances urgent, called PNP 'consultations' and probe a farce

Press Release
By KARAPATAN
August 5, 2006

QUEZON CITY, Philippines  – The human rights watchdog KARAPATAN reiterated its call for an independent body to investigate these killings and disappearances. "We urge Senate and Congress to form, as soon as possible, an independent body composed of people with integrity and probity to investigate the political killings," said Ruth Cervantes, KARAPATAN Public Information Officer.

Cervantes said "human rights advocates in KARAPATAN and the families of victims of killings have no trust in and will not work with Task Force Usig for they have already prejudged the cases and absolved the state from its accountability before investigations actually began."

KARAPATAN also called the PNP's initiative for a multi-sectoral consultation a farce. 

"What do we stand to gain in this so-called consultations if the police and the Task Force Usig have already pronounced Mrs. Arroyo and her security forces blameless in these killings?" Cervantes asked.   She said, "The so-called consultations will merely serve as a venue for grandstanding, to show the public that they are doing something while glossing over the fact that victims' relatives and rights workers came to them for help and we were refused."

KARAPATAN says the PNP had their chance at solving cases of killings and enforced disappearances immediately after the crime has been committed.   Blotter reports have been filed in most cases but they failed to conduct serious investigation on these. Furthermore, there are cases where police elements are involved, like in the case of union leader Gerry Cristobal who identified his assailant as SPO1 Romeo Lara.

As for the escalating number of disappearances, the human rights group also said that the Joint human rights Monitoring Committee of the Philippine Government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines would be in the best position to jointly conduct a probe to determine the facts surrounding the disappearances and find the victims, "whether dead or alive."

KARAPATAN said they are hopeful that an independent investigative body will help solve the killings but doubted that the killings will stop with the implementation of Oplan Bantay Laya, a form of terrorism that is sponsored by the state.