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By Francis Earl A. Cueto, Reporter
THE United States sees an
improvement in the record of the Philippines on human right.
“There has been an
improvement,” US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney said on
Thursday when asked by media on reports of a $2-million cut in US
military aid to the Arroyo government because of alleged human
rights violations.
Kenney added that various
government agencies, particularly the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and Philippine National Police, are “looking very
thoughtfully” for ways to improve their human-rights records.
“We’ve seen a lot of these
institutions looking very thoughtfully at how they can improve their
records, how they can make sure that troops in the field, police in
the field, have every respect for human rights. You know, it’s
tough when you’re out on the front lines, but you have to do
that,” she said.
“You’re asking me to look
crystal ball into the future, and I’m much more on the optimistic
side that there will be an improvement,” Kenny added.
The United States is offering a
lower military aid to the Philippines, from $29.7 million pledged
for 2008 down to $27.7.
Reports said the US State
Department had requested for a smaller allocation for the Foreign
Military Financing and the International Military Exchange Training
programs to the Philippines, with the problems on human rights still
unresolved.
According to a local television
report, officials from the US were quick to advertise on the success
of American military engagement in the Philippines as they provide
funds, training, intelligence and logistical support for Filipino
troops who do the actual fighting against the two major groups they
label as terrorist organizations—the Abu Sayyaf and New People’s
Army (NPA).
But the same reports also said
the US State Department is simply offering a lower military aid to
the Philippines for fiscal year 2008 with $27.7 million.
The amount funds the Armed Forces
of the Philippines to procure everything from uniforms to weapons
and equipment.
It is slightly lower than the $30
million the military got in 2006, but significantly higher than the
$11.1 million the State Department earlier sought for the
Philippines.
Kenney admitted that the initial
numbers for US aid to the Philippines are lower, but the amount may
still increase.
“At the early stage, the number
is a little bit lower,” she said. “I think that may increase,
but it also depends on what the Philippine military needs. They are
increasingly able, as the government has money, thanks to economic
growth, to invest in their own equipment and infrastructure.”
The envoy said the Philippines
probably needs “less money and maybe more people-to-people
contacts, maybe more training.” She added, “You shift the
balance to our assistance depending on what the needs are.”
Kenny said the US government will
continue to help the Philippine government improve its human-rights
record. “Human rights, that is important to all of us. Whether or
not there are some linkages [to the military’s alleged negative
human-rights record] at this stage, I think you will continue to see
America, members of the Congress, members of the government, of the
civil society pushing strong respect for human rights,” she added.
Human rights groups, however,
claim that abuses in the form of extrajudicial killings and enforced
disappearances have significantly increased since President Gloria
Arroyo came to power in 2001.
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