US urged to press Philippines on rights violations

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines’ biggest defense ally, the United States, should press Philippine officials to hold abusive military personnel accountable for rights violations, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

HRW said the US should use its “2+2 dialogue” with the Philippines, to be held April 30 in Washington, D.C., to discuss crucial rights issues and to get Philippine officials to fulfill the Aquino administration’s commitment to go after erring military personnel.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta are scheduled to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to tackle defense and strategic security issues during the 2+2 meeting.

The country’s ties with the US have taken on greater significance since the Philippines became involved in a tense territorial dispute with China over the Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines is now seeking to improve ties with the US so that it could improve its defense capability.

The HRW, in previous reports and statements, had constantly pointed out the lack of any significant progress in the Philippines in the battle to end abuses by members of state security forces.

“Clinton and Panetta should press for a commitment from their Philippine counterparts for full military cooperation in the investigation of abuses and disciplinary measures against those who fail to do so,” Elaine Pearson, HRW deputy Asia director, said in a statement on Monday.

“Too many Filipinos have endured abuses for the US to keep looking the other way,” Pearson added.

According to HRW, the US has not used its relations with the Philippines to raise concerns about rights abuses. It noted that Clinton visited Manila in November while the two countries held the latest round of Balikatan exercises last month. But amid all this, there were no calls from US officials to speak about human rights concerns, it said.

“The US missed a key opportunity to engage publicly with the Philippine military about the need to end impunity for serious human rights abuses,” Pearson said.

Now that US officials would be meeting with their Philippine counterparts again, they should seize this chance, she said.

“The US shouldn’t let such opportunities slide and 2+2 is an important chance to rectify that oversight,” she added.

US officials should also discuss with the Philippines the abuses by paramilitary forces under the military’s control, HRW said. These paramilitary forces have been tagged in the killings of activists and the harassment of communities suspected of aiding communist rebels, it said.

It also pointed out that when he was campaigning, President Aquino had promised to rescind an executive order that paved the way for the creation of private armies. But this vow has remained unfulfilled, with the President apparently backtracking on it and even speaking positively about letting paramilitary forces provide security for private corporations, it said.

HRW also said the US government should stop attempts to lift a congressional hold on some of the foreign aid earmarked for the Philippines until progress has been made in human rights protection.

It noted that since 2008, the US government has withheld $2 million to $3 million per year in assistance. These are only supposed to be released once the State Department certifies that the Philippines has taken steps to prosecute those behind extrajudicial killings, reduced the number of such killings, and has strengthened institutions going after these abuses. These conditions are based in part on the recommendations to the Philippines from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions.

The Philippines has not met the conditions, and since 2008, the State Department has issued no certification, it said.

The US government should also tell Philippine officials that a disciplined and professional military would be crucial for ensuring the security of the civilian population, it added.

Pearson lamented that the Philippine government’s statements on improving human rights had not resulted in much action.

“Progress will be measured by results, in particular the prosecution of soldiers and officers implicated in abuses,” she said.

As for the Philippine military’s contention that it has been going after human rights abusers and bringing them to justice, HRW said this was not backed by evidence.

It said that in the past 10 years, the country’s security forces have been implicated in extrajudicial killings and disappearances involving activists and suspected communist rebels. The numbers of killings and disappearances had gone down under Aquino’s watch, but there has been no progress in the prosecutions, it said. Only seven cases of extrajudicial killings have been successfully prosecuted, but none since Aquino came to power.

It noted that retired Major General Jovito Palparan, who is wanted for the disappearance of two University of the Philippines students, has so far eluded arrest. There have been allegations that former colleagues in the armed forces are aiding him, it added.