PNP briefs US Congress on political killing situation

By Ronron
April 13, 2007

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force USIG briefed on Friday afternoon a select group of staff from the United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the political killings in the country.

Police Deputy Director General Avelino Razon, Jr., deputy chief for administration, said the US delegation, led by Mr. Cobb Mixter, Senior Staff Assistant of US Congressman Tom Lantos, chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, came upon his invitation following his visit to Washington last March.

“I would like to thank (you)… for giving us this opportunity to present the true picture of the alleged political killings in the country,” Razon told Mixter and his two companions during the one-hour-and-a-half “cordial meeting.”

“We assure you of our strong resolve and determination in protecting democracy and safeguarding the fundamental liberties and human rights, which your great country has passed on to us,” he added.

Razon told the US delegates that the PNP Task Force USIG, which was created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in May last year to investigate killings of militants, journalists and government officials, is currently looking into 116 cases of killings of militants, and 26 cases of killings of journalists.

Razon clarified that the delegation was not in the country for an official inquiry, rather just “exploiting through a round-table discussion” the issues at hand.

“If we don’t do that, they will only listen to one side,” Razon said, referring to allegations from militant groups in the country, which claim there are over 800 cases of extrajudicial killings in the country since 2001.

The Philippine government has been accused of being remiss in addressing the spate of killings, which militants said got worse during the incumbency of Arroyo. The criticism came from United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston, the US Senate inquiry, and even the Malacanang-created Melo Commission.

“They received our briefing very openly. They welcomed the presentation. They were most anxious to find out what the Task Force USIG has been doing, and the actions taken by the government itself,” Razon said.

He said the US guests were also briefed about the proposed Executive Order for a closer cooperation with the prosecution office and the law enforcement agencies, which he said had the inputs of the US Embassy in Manila.

“We told them that the Presidential Chief Legal Counsel, Secretary Sergio Apostol, is on top of this and we are confident that shortly, the President will sign this Executive Order,” Razon said.

The proposed model of closer collaboration with law enforcers and the prosecution office under the Department of Justice is patterned from the United States government.

The US delegates refused to talk to the media when interviewed after the closed-door briefing.

The party started to hold official meetings since Thursday until yesterday with government officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno, Defense Undersecretaries Ricardo Blancaflor and Ernesto Carolina, Lt. Col. Benedicto Jose of the Armed Forces Human Rights, Office, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Commission on Human Rights./DMS