US hails Aquino admin’s commitment to human rights

The US government commended the Aquino administration for its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights even as it urged it to intensify efforts to hold perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances accountable for their acts.

“The Aquino family has long championed human rights, and I am pleased that this administration has continued that tradition and has proven to be a staunch ally in efforts to promote human rights,” said US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. in a statement.

Thomas made the statement in time for the 63rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The United States welcomes the Philippine government’s commitment to pursue justice for all victims of extrajudicial killings and hold perpetrators accountable for such heinous acts that contradict the core values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Thomas said.

“It is encouraging that since the 2006 peak in killings, the number of victims has gone down. These crimes continue, however, and we urge the Philippine government to expand and intensify its efforts to investigate, arrest, and convict those responsible,” he added.

“As President Aquino stated, ‘When we allow crimes to go unpunished, we give consent to their occurring over and over again’,” Thomas said.

The US envoy likewise underscored the Philippine government’s cooperation in the fight against human trafficking.

According to him, the Philippines has adopted a coordinated approach to combat trafficking with a commitment from the highest levels of government and active participation from civil society that has led to impressive results in 2010 and 2011.

“We look forward to continued progress towards the elimination of the scourge of human trafficking in the year ahead,” he said.

He assured that the partnership between the United States and Philippines remains strong “as treaty allies and longstanding democracies that protect and promote their highest democratic values and seek a brighter future for all their people.”

“We look forward to continuing our work together to expand human rights protections within the Philippines and around the world,” Thomas said.