> February 14, 2007
>
> Church group appeals to UN Rap on Political Killings:
> Look, judge beyond Malacanang-AFP-
>
> 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-
> 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," Fr. Jerry Sabado,OCarm, PCPR Spokesperson
> 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.'
>
> Reference: Fr. Jerry Sabado, OCarm - Spokesperson, PCPR
> Ms Amie Dural, Secretary General, PCPR
> Contact: 4107623
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 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.
> 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 tothe 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.
>
> 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.
>
> Ms. Sharon Rose Joy-Ruiz Duremdes
> General Secretary
> National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)
>
>
> --
> Promotion of Church People\'s Response (PCPR)
>
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