By Ronron
February 27, 2007
US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney challenged the Philippine government on Tuesday to investigate deeper the cases of extrajudicial killings following the negative impressions it got from different local and international bodies.
In an interview with reporters at Camp Aguinaldo, Kenney said this should be the next focus of Philippine law enforcers and security forces since there are already systems and offices put in place to address the problem.
“The key now is to follow up, to investigate, to fortify the institutions that investigate, to hold people responsible, and therefore, the innocent, declare them innocent. It’s the only way that you can really get at this problem,” Kenney said.
According to her, the Philippine government has already taken moves to address the problem such as the putting up of a Human Rights Office in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the agency hit hard by no less than the Melo Commission and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial killings for allegedly doing nothing to solve the problem.
But the “key” to end the killings is “to investigate,” even if she said it is the hard part.
The lady envoy described the extrajudicial killings as a “serious problem” not only in the Philippines, but also in other countries.
The human rights advocate group Karapatan has reported over 700 cases of extrajudicial killings since 2001 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo rose to power, while the Philippine National Police (PNP) only took cognizance of over a hundred./DMS
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