Home 
MANILA, Philippines?The European Union has made a stronger push for human rights in the country as it started a 3.9-million-euro (about P250 million), 15-month project with the Philippine government to stop and solve extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances of activists, farmers representatives, trade unionists, and journalists.
"This issue has brought grief to many families here over the years and has risked sullying the country's reputation internationally, as well as working to diminish the voice of the Philippines in the field of human rights?a voice for democracy which otherwise has been strong and consistent since 1986,? said EU Ambassador to the country Alistair MacDonald.
At the launch of the EU-Philippine Justice Support Program (Epjust) on February 11, MacDonald said the amount will cover the cost of technical assistance services, advice, and training intended to strengthen the criminal justice system (investigation, prosecution, and judiciary).
The program also seeks to support the Commission on Human Rights as well as civil society groups working in this area, to enhance human rights awareness among the uniformed services, and to establish a credible and effective national monitoring mechanism, which will bring together all Philippine stakeholders to help track the nation?s progress in addressing this issue, the ambassador said.
While the program will be implemented by a core team of senior European experts, working closely with all the Philippine stakeholders, the actual work will be done by Filipinos, said Epjust team leader Detlev Mehlis.
?In the end, it will be up to you to implement the things we will suggest, accept the training and suggestions, and come up with proposals as well. Because you know the problem, you implement the solutions,? he said.
Mehlis, who is senior prosecutor and head of section in the Office of the Superior Prosecutor in Berlin, said his team can help the Philippines identify the perpetrators in specific cases where the Philippine government requested for direct assistance. He said his team cannot do so otherwise.
The two other key experts in Mehlis?s team are Bo Åström, head of the International Affairs Division in the Swedish National Police Academy, and Benedetta Odorisio, an Italian expert with extensive working experience with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mehlis and Åström took up their duties in late November and early December 2009, while Odorisio will arrive at the end of this month. In addition to them, a number of short-term European expert inputs will be made to assist in different aspects of the program, which is scheduled to be finished by April 2011.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who also heads the Presidential Human Rights Committee, attended the Epjust launch, where he announced a significant reduction in such cases.
From 41 cases in 2006, there has been a ?dramatic drop? to 6 cases in 2007, to 7 in 2008, and 9 in 2009, he said.
Ermita also said 16 persons?1 police officer, 1 military officer, 1 communist rebel, 1 former police officer, and the rest civilians?have been convicted for these crimes.
He said that of the 836 cases brought to the attention of his office, 156 have been validated. Of the 156, 95 (representing 61 percent) have been filed before the courts and 61 (or 39 percent) are still under investigation.
MacDonald welcomed Ermita?s news. He also admitted the sensitive nature of the issue that the program seeks to address. But, he said, this program ?reflects the true spirit of partnership which we have built up over the years."
Epjust team leader Mehlis said: ?This is a beautiful country and it does not deserve these phenomena of extra-legal killings and enforced disappearances enforced by individuals who take justice into their own hands. It is simply unacceptable.?
?We are here to help make your democracy more perfect,? he added.
