Mercy distorted: Executive clemency of Erap, political survival of GMA

By: Most Rev. Arturo M. Bastes, SVD, DD
Bishop of Sorsogon
October 26, 2007

The recent pronouncement of Malacaňang on Erap Pardon is highly suspicious and full of self-vested interests. It is indeed the prerogative of the President of the Philippines to grant clemency to convicted criminals yet there are considerations that should be taken into account. One of which is the fundamental question on justice.

The conviction of Erap on plunder case is a triumph of justice. Last September 12, the Sandiganbayan convicted Estrada of plunder and sentenced him to life in prison. The court also ordered the former leader to return more than 734 million pesos of his ill-gotten wealth. Yet this is overturned by the pardon given by GMA to Erap.

The executive clemency of former president Estrada is not an act of mercy but rather a political survival of the Arroyo Regime. The Arroyo administration has been beleaguered by the massive corruption and anomalous deals. The controversial ZTE-National Broadband Network deal has been disclosed to involve allegedly the First Gentleman, the President and the former COMELEC Chairman Abalos. The $ 329.5 Million worth deal was allegedly overpriced. It must be recalled that the ‘under negotiation’ Cyber Education Project is allegedly overpriced also.

The recent payola scandal or the giving of money to politicians is too scandalous and it undermines the sound economic policies of the national government. With the disclosure of Governor Ed Panlilio regarding the money handed out in Malacaňang, runs contrary to the institutional decency of the Arroyo government. More so the “untraceable origin” of the payola money haunts even the Department of Budget Management (DBM). This must be investigated thoroughly.

The acceptance of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) as the responsible group in giving the cash must be viewed as “shock-absorber” so as to mislead the inquiry from the Office of the President. They must tell the Truth unless truth has been subjected in favor of political patronage and survival.

It must be reiterated that the conviction of former president Estrada is an exercise of retributive or
corrective justice. Retributive justice refers to the extent to which punishments are fair and just. In general, punishments are held to be just to the extent that they take into account relevant criteria such as the seriousness of the crime and the intent of the criminal, and discount irrelevant criteria such as race. Yet Estrada never winked to accept his crimes to the last end. It should be the remorse and decision of the erring individual for personal transformation that must move a president to stroke a pen for absolute pardon. It must be noted that Estrada has not served half of his sentence. It is indeed questionable why the Arroyo administration gave pardon to Erap.

With the corruption controversies, the impeachment complaint rolling in the House of Representatives and crack of alliance between Speaker Jose De Venecia and GMA, Malacaňang executed the final decision that undermines the fundamentals of society, i.e. the absolute dispensation of justice.

This act of Malacaňang sends wrong signal to the people. The accountability and justice will never hold and will always sway for political survival. The growing rift between GMA and JDV drives wedge in favor to the pro-Estrada politicians and Oppositions. The pardon is a tactical move by GMA to clip the pro-Estrada politicians on the looming impeachment and growing clamor of the civil society for the president to resign.

It is lamentable because fundamentals of strong and noble societies like justice have been corrupted beyond reconstruction and recognition.

NUJP Statement: On the Digos slay attempt

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemn in the strongest terms the attempt on the lives of two volunteer radio announcers in Digos City Thursday morning, October 25.

Reports said Marlan Malnegro and Ruben Oliverio had just finished their morning program on Radio Ukay and were riding tandem on a motorcycle and had reached an intersection about a kilometer from the station when the two attackers, on another motorcycle, drove up. One of the suspects drew a handgun and fired but missed. He tried to fire again but fortunately his gun jammed.

While we have yet to ascertain the motive for the attack, this incident is nevertheless another clear example of the culture of impunity nurtured by official apathy and inaction that has emboldened those who wish to silence a critical press to carry out such brazen
attacks as this broad daylight attempt on the lives of Malnegro and Oliverio.

Again and again, government has vowed to put an end to media killings and solve the murders of our colleagues. Again and again, these vows have proven to be lip service.

This time, we hope our demand for a swift resolution to this case will not, as have so many of our calls in the past, fall on deaf ears.

Reference:
Joe Torres Jr., NUJP chairperson
Rowena Paraan, IFJ-NUJP Media Safety Office Coordinator
October 25, 2007

2 radio volunteers escape slay try in Digos City

By Orlando Dinoy
Inquirer

DIGOS CITY, Philippines -- Two volunteer radio announcers narrowly escaped death here when two unidentified men aboard a motorcycle fired on them at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, police and witnesses said.

Marlan Malnegro and Ruben Oliverio had just finished their morning program on Radio Ukay and were riding tandem on a motorcycle when the attack took place.

On reaching Jumao-as corner Rizal Avenue, about a kilometer from the station, one of the two still unidentified men on a red Crypton motorcycle drew a handgun and fired, but missed.

The gunman tried to fire a second time but the gun jammed.

As of this posting, police are still investigating the incident.

Court temporarily stops class suit against president's husband

CMFR/Philippines—The class action suit filed by 40 journalists and three media organizations against presidential spouse Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo for his alleged abuse of right and violation of press freedom, had not even reached the pre-trial stage a year after it was filed. Both sides had been locked in an argument over legal technicalities.

But in a decision dated 24 September 2007, the Court of Appeals (CA) granted Mr. Arroyo's petition asking for a preliminary injunction on the hearing of the affirmative defenses, thus putting the case on hold.

The class action suit was filed against Mr. Arroyo on 28 December 2006 in response to the numerous libel suits – 11 against 46 journalists – he had been filing against media practitioners since 2003. Libel is a criminal offense in the Philippines.

"(P)etitioner's application for a writ of preliminary injunction is granted.… enjoining respondents, their agents and anybody acting in their behalf from continuing with the preliminary hearing on the affirmative defenses based on the amended complaint," the decision, signed by CA Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta stated.

The decision also said it would be injurious to Mr. Arroyo if the hearing on the affirmative defense will be continued.

"Based on the pleadings submitted, the possibility of irreparable injury to petitioner (Mr. Arroyo) has been shown, at least tentatively or provisionally, to justify the restraint on the subject hearing on the affirmative defenses based on the amended complaint. Said preliminary hearing or its continuance will unduly expose petitioner to the rigors of trial in the case below even before the jurisdictional issues raised in the present petition are resolved," the decision stated.

Harry Roque, the lawyer of the journalists in the case, however expressed befuddlement over the decision since it was actually Mr. Arroyo who requested presiding judge Zenaida Laguilles of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) for a hearing on the affirmative defenses.

On 6 February 2007, Roque filed an opposition to the RTC to Mr. Arroyo's motion to set the case for preliminary hearing on affirmative defenses. Mr. Arroyo's two points in his affirmative defense state that the RTC has no jurisdiction over the case because the plaintiffs did not pay the correct amount of docket fees, and that the plaintiffs have no cause of action because not all of the complainants were libeled by Mr. Arroyo.

Ruy Rondain, Mr. Arroyo's lawyer, argued that the plaintiffs were not able to post the docket fee of P9 million each. The complainants are asking for P12.5 ($276, 600) in damages, but Rondain noted that the word "each" is written in the final complaint, indicating that each complainant, 36 individual journalists and three media organizations, sought to be given P12.5 each, with total charges amounting to P487.5 million ($10.78 million). There were 36 individual journalists in the complaint filed on 28 December 2006, but four more joined the suit, which was then added in the complaint's amended version. The media organizations include the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), which has been calling for the decriminalization of libel since 1990

Roque had filed a motion to amend the complaint on 6 February 2007 asking the word "each" to be replaced instead with "aggregate" so as "to make the words of the Complaint conform squarely with the intention of the Plaintiffs to claim damages for the Philippine press as a unified institution."

Rondain, however, in his reply filed on 2 March 2007, stated that it is "difficult to believe that plaintiffs, all seasoned journalists who claimed they read the complaint before verifying it, would also miss that suppose 'typo'" Rondain also stated that "the bottom line is that plaintiffs intended to mislead to save on docket fees."

Laguilles, however, on an order dated 16 March 2007, granted Roque's motion to amend the complaint and Rondain's motion to set the case for hearing on the affirmative defenses.

Roque said he is considering whether to just comply with the CA decision, or file a motion for clarification.
The class suit is the first of its kind in the Philippines and hopes to prevent other government officials from harassing journalists and eroding press freedom through the whimsical use of the Philippine libel law.

Court junks Aussie mining firm's suit vs indigenous leaders

Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) yesterday lauded the decision of the Nueva Vizcaya court junking the petition for permanent injunction filed by Oxiana Philippines Incorporated (now owned by Australia's Royalco Resources) against 24 indigenous people's leaders from Kasibu town.

According to Save the Valley Serve the People Movement convenor Abe Almirol, Judge Godofredo Naui on Monday dismissed the petition for permanent injunction sought by the defunct Oxiana Philippines, Incorporated to permanently bar 24 leaders from barricading the roads going to their exploration area in the villages of Pao and Kakidugen of Kasibu town.

The defendants in the case are village chiefs Mariano Maddela of Pao, Felimon Blanco of Paquet, Orlando Binoya of Dine, and 21 other leaders and members of the Kasibu Inter-Tribal Response for Ecological Development (KIRED).

Kalikasan PNE previously condemned Oxiana's action as a SLAPP suit (Strategic Legal Action Against Public Participation), a form of litigation filed by usually powerful entities against less financially-capable critics with the intention of intimidating and silencing them in the course of a lengthy and costly legal battle.

"We laud this decision of the court. This proves that Oxiana's run-of-the-mill SLAPP suit is baseless and only meant to bully the community into inaction and fear," said Clemente Bautista, National Coordinator for Kalikasan PNE.

"This is definitely good news for the Philippine struggle to defend our national patrimony. This development will be brought to the attention of other environmental organizations and advocates from 13 countries here at the Mines and Communities (MAC) strategy conference in London ," Bautista said.

Bautista is currently attending the five-day Conference led by MAC, an international electronic network established in 2001 (website may be accessed at http://www.minesandcommunities.org/).

Kalikasan PNE hopes that the case will mark a precedent for other existing SLAPP suits, Bautista said. "We also hope that other SLAPP cases against environmental advocates will be dismissed. These includes Oxiana's petition to hold Kasibu Mayor Romeo Tayaban in contempt filed last month and the libel case filed by Lafayette Mining against the research NGO Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC-Phils) ," Bautista said.

Bayan Muna hits malicious effort to link gov’t critics to Glorietta bombing

Bayan Muna today reiterates its strong condemnation of the Glorietta 2 Mall bombing in Makati City even as it decries efforts to link Administration critics to the terrorist act.

Yesterday, members of the media called up the mobile number of the person calling himself Sheik Omar of the Raja Sulaiman Movement, who has admitted responsibility for the attack. To their surprise, the call was diverted to the mobile phone of Rep. Ruffy Biazon of Muntinlupa.

This morning, members of the media again called up Omar’s alleged number but the call was again diverted, this time to the mobile phone of Mr. Robert de Castro, a Bayan Muna official working in the party’s national headquarters in Quezon City.

It seems that the person calling himself Sheik Omar and his group are maliciously employing high technology deception by diverting calls to them to cellphone numbers of known political personalities and then feeding their numbers to media reporters and, possibly, government investigators.

The people behind this effort may be doing this in vain attempts to mislead the investigation, confuse the public, or worse, set up innocent people like Rep. Biazon or Mr. de Castro.

Again, we ask, who can possibly benefit from this act of violence against innocent civilians? Who has the means, opportunity and motive to commit such a dastardly act? Who are possibly behind efforts to link the incident to the Left and other government critics?

We hope investigators do not ignore the most obvious angle for the bombing, which is that it may have been done to divert public attention away from the current scandals hounding the President and at the same time worsen the political crisis in order to justify some form of strong arm rule.

Once again, we call on the authorities to make sure it is the real perpetrators of the Glorietta bombing that should be caught, prosecuted and punished.

WANTED: for the crime of TERRORISM

Marcos victims, rights groups urge Congress to pass Compensation bill soon

BY Donato Continente
October 17, 2007

At the first meeting of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on the compensation bill for martial law victims at the House of Representatives on 17 October 2007, SELDA members urged the 14th Congress to immediately pass the bill and uphold the group’s viable proposals for the law to realize its objectives.

“We call on Congress to immediately pass an act for the compensation of martial law victims and to uphold the victims’ right to seek justice,” said SELDA member Romy Luneta.

Luneta said “rendering justice to victims includes restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition – this is a basic principle of the rule of law and one of the main pillars of democracy.”

SELDA said that the 14th Congress would make its mark in history if it will enact a law that would acknowledge the State’s moral and legal obligation to render justice to the victims of the worst forms of human rights violations during martial law.

The group said it supports House Bill 1114 but said it is open to a consolidated bill as long as it will not compromise the spirit and intent of the law.

SELDA asserted that the law should reflect an official apology from the State to all victims and give first priority to the 9,539 class suit plaintiffs and the 24 direct action plaintiffs who have won the case against Marcos in the US Federal Court and who have already completed the process of validation.

Many of the victims of human rights violations during martial law are impoverished and worse, many are sick and dying. Fifteen years after a famous judicial decision rendered in their favor, ironically in another country through an international jurisprudence called the Alien Tort Act, no time should be wasted in rendering justice and reparation for victims of crimes against humanity.

Hong Kong network sends mission to probe rights abuses and gov't response in RP

Has justice been given to the victims of human rights violations? Are the moves of the Philippine government to resolve cases of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances enough? What is the current situation and future of human rights in the Philippines?

These are the questions that Hong Kong groups will answer in the Second HK Mission for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines from October 16 to 22 organized by the HK Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP). The first fact finding mission visited the country in July 2006.

According to Rey Asis, co-convenor of the network, the second mission is being sent to the Philippines in order to determine the developments in the human rights situation in the country that have for years earned the ire of the international community.

"International and national pressure have been exerted and promises of the government have been made. Now is the time to collect," he added.

Among the participants of the HK Mission 2 are the Hon. Leung Kwok-Hung, a member of the HK Legislative Council, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), the Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, Asian Monitor Resource Center (AMRC), Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples (ACPP), Asian Students Associtaion (ASA), Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), and the Hong Kong Federation of Christian Students (HKFCS). Some members of the HK media will also come to document the mission and the human rights issues in the country.

Asis relayed that they have sent requests for meetings with some government agencies, including the Department of Justice, Task Force Usig and the National Commission on Human Rights. They are also hoping to see Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno with whom some fact finding mission members had a meeting this year in Hong Kong.

"More importantly, we shall meet with families of victims of human rights violations to know what has been done to the cases of their loved ones and how they view their situation. We'll meet some of those we interviewed last year in July as well as families of more recent victims," he said.

The group shall release its report soon after the conclusion of the fact finding mission.

"The HK Mission 2 is part of our commitment for justice to be rendered to the victims, for human rights abuses to be stamped out and for the promotion of a just and lasting peace in the country. With this mission, we aim to shed more light on the burning issue of human rights violations in the Philippines," Asis concluded.

Pinoy environmentalist to bare ills of Arroyo's mining projects at London conference

A Filipino environmental activist will be presenting today to an international environmental lobby network the ills of Pres. Gloria Arroyo's mining liberalization programs and projects at a conference in London, United Kingdom.

Clemente Bautista Jr., National Coordinator for Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), will be presenting before the 33-strong editorial board and members from 14 countries of the Mines and Communities (MAC) strategy conference in London an update on critical Philippine mining projects, including the Australian-led mining projects in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya and the Arroyo administration's flagship project by Lafayette in Rapu-Rapu, Albay.

MAC is an international electronic network established in 2001, whose website may be accessed at ttp://www.minesandcommunities.org/. It will be gathering its networks from around the globe from October 15 to 19. The network will also examine and update the LONDON DECLARATION ON MINING signed on September 16, 2001. The London Stock Exchange in total has almost 200 mining companies listed, earning it the monicker the 'mining capital' for the world.

On the part of the South East Asian members, Bautista will share country updates on Philippine communities' struggle for the closure of Polymetallic Mining Project of Australian-owned Lafayette Mining Corporation and a mining moratorium in Rapu-rapu island in Albay Province, Southern Luzon, a halt to the entry and operation of the world's mining giants in the Philippines, particularly BHP Billiton, Anglo American and Xstrata, and the opposition of indigenous people's communities to the entry and operation of mining transnational corporations (TNCs) in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya; particularly Australian-owned Oxiana and Royalco in Kasibu.

Bautista will also elaborate on the People's Mining Policy drafted by Defend Patrimony, a national and broad multisectoral network of mining-affected communities, grassroots organizations and alliances united against the globalization of the mining industry, plunder and destruction of natural resources in the country.

Defend Patrimony is currently composed of15 anti-mining alliances representing 4 provinces, 9 regions and 2 sectors (Church and legislators) and 28 sectoral organizations, NGOs and individuals.

"The People's Mining Policy (PMP) is a mining policy framework conceptualized as an alternative to the historically pro-foreign, anti-people and anti-environment mining policy of the Philippine government and formulated through the participation of mining-affected communities, grassroots organizations, environmental organizations and support groups nationwide," Bautista said.

"This document serves as an educational tool, disproving baseless claims of mining liberalization proponents and mining TNCs that anti-mining liberalization advocates in the country are "anti-development" and "anti-mining"," Bautista said.

Bautista will also be meeting up with the Filipino community in London to firm up the international campaign for Lafayette's pull-out from Rapu-Rapu after attending the 'Political Killings Targetting Civil Society Conference' last October 13 in London.

On Administrative Order 197 'What the Supreme Court giveth, Gloria taketh away' - Karapatan

Philippine human rights group Karapatan criticized President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for what it termed "a move to shield the military from its accountability to the people," by issuing Administrative Order 197.

Karapatan likewise said that the writ of amparo and the writ of habeas data that the Supreme Court recently approved will be contradicted by AO 197 that prevents the "disclosure of military secrets."

"What the Supreme Court giveth, Gloria Arroyo taketh away," said Karapatan Public Information Officer Ruth Cervantes.

Cervantes said, "Arroyo's AO 197 will protect perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances by hampering the public's access to vital information that could produce the missing persons or convict the killers."

"Is the president and commander-in-chief trying to make the rules of the AFP Armed Forces of the Philippines superior to the order and rules of a civilian court?" Cervantes asked.

Karapatan said the Supreme Court should not take this sitting down and urged the high court to review AO 197 because it contradicts the constitutional provision on the public's right to know and on the accountability of public officials.

Karapatan also voiced out its opposition to the "acceleration of recruitment, training, equipping and deploying of CAFGU," which is item number three in AO 197.

Cervantes said "Civilian communities are already terrorized with the heavy presence of troops and this is a violation of international humanitarian laws. The government should pull out troops and not deploy more paramilitary forces, which in our country's experience have caused human rights violations in communities."

Give more to education, health and environment protection

Bayan Muna wants Gloria’s huge intel funds, budget for 2 new helicopters scrapped

If you had the money, where would you spend it on? Two brand new helicopters for the President or better schools, hospitals and the protection of the environment?

If Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño would have his way, the P1.3 billion budget for two new helicopters for the Office of the President would be realigned to meet the shortfalls in the education, health and environment budgets. The President's P650M intelligence and confidential funds would likewise be re-channeled to other priorities.

These are just some of the amendments to be pushed by the militant solon today in the proposed 2008 budget.

“Included in the proposed P1.227 trillion national budget for 2008 is the purchase of two new Bell helicopters for the President priced at P1,268,800,000. The Palace already has seven helicopters in its command! Why should the President buy two more?" an incredulous Casiño said.

He also said the President's P650 million confidential and intelligence expenses dwarfed the combined intelligence funds for the PNP and DND-AFP which is at P421 million. "These confidential and intelligence funds are being used by the President against her critics. It funds, for example, the Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) that was responsible for the fake rebellion case against the Batasan 6 as well as other trumped up charges against Leftist and opposition personalities," said Casiño.

"Since intelligence and confidential funds are not audited, these are most likely sources of major kickbacks for the President and her allies in the Palace,” Casiño said.

The Bayan Muna solon proposed some “major innovative amendments that would definitely have a positive effect on some sectors of national budget.”

“We will propose the realignment of parts of the P1,290,329,000 line item for Confidential and Intelligence Expenses allotted for the Departments Interior and Local Government, Finance, Transportation and Communication, Justice, and the Presidential Anti-organized Crime Commission (PACC), Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and that these be re-channeled to the budget of the Department of Education and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). These expenses under Maintenance and other Operating Expenses (MOOE) are not usually subject to government audit,” Casiño said.

“We will also push for the realignment of the DILG’s P3B Kilos Asenso Support Fund and the AFP’s P1B Kalayaan Barangay Fund to the Department of Health, and the realignment of the DENR Confidential and Intelligence Funds to the Environmental Management Bureau,” Casiño added.

The militant solon outlined the following agencies with Confidential and Intelligence Expenses where he would move to be transferred to education and health spending:

AGENCY	2008 Budget for Confidential and Intelligence Funds	TOTALS	To be re-allocated to:
DOFinance Intelligence Funds	4.5 M	137.6 M	Department of Education and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)
DOTC Intelligence Funds	3.1 M
DOJ Intelligence Funds (excluding NBI and Bureau of Immigration)	95 M
PCGG	5 M
PACC	15 M
PDEA	15 M
Kilos Asenso Support Fund (DILG)	3B	P4 B	Department of Health
Kalayaan Barangay Fund (AFP)	1 B
DENR Intelligence Funds	4.369 M	4.369 M	DENR-EMB

“Confidential and intelligence funds should be re-allocated to education, health and environment protection spending. We must substantially reduce if not totally scrap Gloria Arroyo’s potential sources of potential kickbacks in the 2008 budget,” Casiño said.

Small farmers unlikely to benefit from 'agri export' under JPEPA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is trying to gain public support for the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) by flaunting that the free-trade pact will secure some US$353 million (P15.6 billion) worth of existing agricultural and fishery exports to Japan . But the benefits, if indeed there will be any, will be cornered by corporate agri-businesses and local rural elites, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

Iligan City radio broadcaster shot

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed its concern after receiving reports from its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) that an Iligan City broadcast journalist was shot three times in the stomach.

According to the NUJP, Jose Cagalawan Pantoja, who worked at radio station dxLS in the southern Philippines, was shot on Monday October 8 near the Mindanao State University at approximately 7am. Authorities have said that two unidentified men on motorcycles carried out the attack.

Pantoja has been described as a hard-hitting political reporter for his controversial broadcasts. He is now recovering from the attack at the Mindanao Sanitorium and Hospital.

IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said, "Political activists and journalists are attacked, persecuted and abducted in the Philippines on a regular basis.

"This latest attack demonstrates the daily challenge journalists in the Philippines face to stay safe while carrying out their work."

The Philippines remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. In 2006, it was the second-most deadly country for journalists after war-torn Iraq.

The IFJ joins its affiliate the NUJP in calling on authorities to immediately investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice. (IFJ)

Rights group hit PNP deception on 'solved' cases of killings and disappearances

The announcement of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that 56 cases of extrajudicial killings solved came as no surprise to human rights group Karapatan but criticized the PNP for deception.

"It is simply ridiculous if not totally deceiving that our police force keeps on insisting that cases are solved with the mere identification of suspects and filing of complaints," Jigs Clamor, Karapatan Deputy Secretary said.

"A case is solved when the perpetrators are convicted and put behind bars." Clamor continues.

Karapatan said that with this deception, the most affected are the families of the victims who were led to believe that their cases would finally be brought to justice.

The human rights group reiterated that "a thorough and scientific investigation is a requirement in solving cases and sadly, the the PNP has pathetically failed in many cases." Karapatan cited the case of the extrajudicial execution of Aglipayan Bishop Alberto Ramento who was killed a year ago on October 3.

In the said case, the PNP prematurely adopted and stuck to the theory that the incident was a simple case of robbery with homicide, completely ruling out other possible angles and motives in the commission of the heinous crime of murder. They considered the case solved and closed on 6 October 2006, barely three days after the crime was committed.

"Our police institution has undermined our justice system. The pronouncements made about solved cases are mere propaganda ploy to convince the public and the international community that the Arroyo administration does not tolerate extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance."

Karapatan avers that "justice has not yet been served to victims and raised deep concern that the atrocities are continuing because the counter-insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya is still in place and continues to wreak havoc among the Filipino people who criticize the anti-fascist and anti-people policies of the Arroyo administration."