Letter of PCPR

PRESS RELEASE
February 14, 2007

Church group appeals to UN Rap on Political Killings: Look, Judge beyond Malacañang -AFP-PNP Cover-Up

The Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR), a church-based human rights group, is appealing to Mr. Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Killings, to look, listen and judge beyond the Malacañang-AFP-PNP cover-up on state accountability over the 833 cases of political killings under Arroyo.

The group notes, "We received information that in one of Mr. Alston's meeting with government representatives, the case of Bishop Alberto Ramento was cited as a plain case of robbery. The family and co-workers of Bishop Ramento believe that he was killed not by plain thieves but by state agents ordered to eliminate groups and personalities advocating regime change.

As we have wrote to Mr. Alston earlier, the fact that Bishop Ramento and 24 other church people were not spared is a glaring manifestation of extreme level of state repression. We respectfully ask Mr. Alston to probe into the level of official state policy pertaining to the massive vilification, harassment, unjust arrests and summary executions of members of progressive political parties and community activists across the nation.

BEWARE OF WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

"Mr. Alston must brace himself for more lies and cover-up as he meets with Arroyo's team of policy-makers on national security, particularly Mr. Norberto Gonzales whom he will be meeting tomorrow. On his 10-day mission, every encounter with Mrs Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Exec. Sec. Eduardo Ermita, Mr. Norberto Gonzales and top military and police officials is like meeting wolves in sheep's clothing. The wolves are wearing dignified smiles and best attire, but in truth they are accountable for the most devious schemes behind the staggering number of political killings and persecution. We ask Mr. Alston to look and listen beyond claims of plain robbery, 'leftists killing leftists' and other attempts to point the blame on non-state entities," O.Carm. JPIC stressed.

STATE COVER-UP THROUGH POLICE, TF USIG SHAM INVESTIGATIONS

"As we have noted in documents submitted to the UN team, church groups are unhappy about the conduct of police and Task Force Usig investigations: Simply because Bishop Ramento’s cellular phone and ring were discovered stolen after the incident, the Philippine National Police was quick to dismiss the case as a simple case of robbery with homicide. Our independent investigation found that the crime scene investigation by the police was perfunctorily finished in a speed of about two hours and thereafter they did not cordon off the crime scene, thus allowing everyone in. Except for the sworn statement of the church caretaker, Archimedes Ferrer, there was also no interview done on the family and the people close to Bishop Ramento after the crime scene investigation and before they single-mindedly declared it just a few hours after the crime scene investigation that it was a case of robbery with homicide," PCPR stated.

PCPR pointed out that in the case of Rev. Edison Lapuz , police and the Task Force Usig reported last year, ""Lapuz was accused of juggling funds generated through pledges, donations and solicitations for the National Council of Churches in the Philippines…"

The NCCP, through Ms. Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes, General Secretary of the Council, stated, "This pronouncement is downright malicious and unfounded. While active in the human rights program of the NCCP, Rev. Lapuz was never given funds to manage by the organization. To our knowledge, he was never engaged in fund raising for the Council. The "conclusions" of Task Force Usig regarding the cause of extra judicial killings belies the capability of this body to come out with a credible report. To make such a pronouncement without consulting the NCCP which is allegedly the organization whose funds Rev. Lapuz embezzled, clearly shows the quality of the investigation conducted by the Task Force."

PCPR shares the view of the NCCP that Task Force Usig came out with incredible conclusions and has made a mockery of the process of seeking justice for those who have been brutally felled.

In a separate statement, the NCCP welcomed the UN Rapportuer's mission and noted, "Though the pattern of human rights violations is being compared to the dark days of martial law, one significant characteristic stands out: the human rights violations are carried out with impunity against members of people-oriented organizations, churches and political parties. The victims are unarmed and helpless and the inability of government to stop the executions has fueled public frustration and even public accusation that the Philippine government has a hand in these, if not by commission, by inaction."

Finally, PCPR also urged Mr. Alston to include in his recommendation for the Supreme Court to junk the Anti-Terrorism Bill which further justify political killings through arbitrary terrorist labeling of activist groups, human rights organizations and even churches deeply involved in social concerns such as those listed by the military as 'enemies of the state.'

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REPORT TO THE UNITED NATIONS TEAM
February 14, 2007

A multitude of concerns have been raised regarding the pattern of escalating extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and political persecution in the Philippines today. Though this pattern of human rights violations is being compared to the dark days of martial law, one significant characteristic stands out: the human rights violations are carried out with impunity against members of people-oriented organizations, churches and political parties. The victims are unarmed and helpless and the inability of government to stop the executions has fueled public frustration and even public accusation that the Philippine government has a hand in these, if not by commission, by inaction.

The attacks on activists have escalated despite a pronouncement by the Commission on Human Rights that the government ultimately is accountable for the killings because it has a duty to protect its citizens, and amid calls from London-based Amnesty International for the administration to disband armed groups operating "with (official) acquiescence." Human Rights Organization, Karapatan, has already informed you that as of February 12, 2007, 833 Filipinos have fallen victim to State terrorism.

Church people – clergy and laity alike – have not been spared. In fact, they have been the recent targets of harassment and repression. As of today, 10 clergy and 5 lay workers of church-based programs were extra-judicially killed. You must have already been told that one of the latest cases is the murder of Bishop Alberto Ramento, the former Supreme Bishop of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, a church in concordat relation and communion with the Anglican/Episcopal, Reformed and Old Catholic churches worldwide. Bishop Ramento was a vocal human rights and peace advocate.

Peace building has been the center piece program of the apostolate of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP, for brevity). The ten member churches have consistently taken to task the powers and principalities in this country especially as regards the human rights record of the government. As could be expected, the State has not been too friendly to the Council. It has labeled us as a communist front and placed us in the list of the "enemies of the State." Our national headquarters continues to be under very close watch by the authorities.

Last year, the churches held a Human Rights and Peace Summit to help give visibility to the deteriorating human rights situation under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The churches and a number of our overseas partners called for:

1. The conduct of an independent investigation on these violations of human rights by a group of esteemed individuals from different walks of life such as church people, academicians, lawyers, legislators and leaders of peasants and workers, to be done with dispatch;

2. A thorough inquiry by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council and other international courts of justice to ferret out the truth and to hold accountable those responsible for such wrongdoings;

3. The government to exercise its political will to put an immediate end to the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and other forms of political persecution.

4. The resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

5. Concrete initiatives and programs to support the efforts of victims and families of human rights violations to rebuild their lives, i.e. scholarships, financial and livelihood assistance, etc.
The Philippine churches and our partners are presently in the process of producing a Philippine Human Rights Report which will document our cry of protest. It pleads for the immediate stop to the killings and urges for the just redress of human rights violations. We hope to submit it to governmental, intergovernmental and international bodies, urging them to act on the recommendations. We plan to submit the report to the United Nations Human Rights Council when it meets in Geneva next month.

Allow me, on behalf of the ecumenical community in the Philippines to thank you for your concern. Indeed, you are our partners in the pursuit of peace based on justice.

General Secretary
National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)