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By Sam Mediavilla and Anthony
Vargas, Reporters
President Arroyo on Monday
welcomed the move of the Supreme Court to call a summit aimed to put
an end to the spate of extrajudicial killings.
Security officials also looked
forward to the summit and expressed their willingness to participate
in it.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio
Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo supports the recommendation of Chief Justice
Reynato Puno to discuss next month reforms the Court could establish
to stop the killings of militants and activists.
Human rights groups said as many
as 800 militants have been murdered since 2001.
“We support the move of the
Supreme Court, as far as calling a summit is concerned. I believe
this will accelerate the solution of some cases,” Bunye told a
news briefing.
He reiterated government’s
strong condemnation of extrajudicial killings.
Bunye assured the public that the
government’s drive to solve the murder of personalities closely
identified with the Communist Party of Philippines and the New
People’s Army was “purposive and relentless.”
The Armed Forces, which has been
widely blamed for the extrajudicial killings, said it was more than
willing to take part in the summit.
The AFP Public Information chief,
Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the military would participate if
invited since it would help improve the command and responsibility
system in the military.
“We share the same concern and
we are more than willing to cooperate on whatever proceedings [that]
would take place,” Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
He maintained that the military
does not condone extrajudicial killings.
The Philippine National Police
Deputy Chief for Administration, Deputy Director General Avelino
Razon Jr., said the summit would be a welcome development.
“We welcome that . . . so that
all sectors that are involved will help in explaining these unsolved
killings,” Razon said Monday.
Last year the PNP created Task
Force Usig to focus in investigating the political killings.
The Task Force Usig chief,
Director Geary Barias, expressed hopes that left-wing militant
groups would also participate in the summit being.
“We hope [that] even Karapatan
and other leftist organization would attend and participate in the
summit,” said Barias who also heads the PNP Directorate for
Investigative and Detective Management.
Two congressmen, Douglas Cagas of
Davao del Sur and Benasing Macarambon of Lanao del Sur, on Monday
military generals to disclose what they know about political
killings.
The two lawmakers were reacting
to disclosures by some generals that the killings of political
activists were openly discussed in the AFP two years ago.
Cagas said he found it suspicious
that the generals were speaking out about the killings of political
activists only now.
“There had been investigations
on the killings of leftists after human rights and activists groups
cried for help but sadly, these generals chose to remain in the
closet. So why are they finally breaking their silence but still
choosing to remain anonymous?” Cagas asked.
Macarambon said the military
officers should not be afraid to divulge the truth behind the
unexplained killings.
“They should act like true
soldiers and officers by going public about what they know regarding
the political killings. If they are serious about helping resolve
the killings, then they should cooperate openly with the
authorities. The Supreme Court is planning to hold a summit on the
killings. We just hope these generals will have the guts to
cooperate in the summit,” Macarambon said.
--With Maricel V. Cruz
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