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I arrived in the Philippines with an open mind. I was aware that the killings were being used by some affected groups in what was seen by others as a propaganda campaign. But the existence of a propaganda dimension in accusations that the military is extrajudicially executing leftist activists does not, in itself, destroy the credibility of the information and allegations. I proposed, instead, the need to apply several tests of credibility.
First, is it only the NGOs from one part of the political spectrum who are making these allegations? The answer is clearly `no`. Human rights groups in the Philippines range across the entire spectrum in terms of their political sympathies, but I met no groups who challenged the basic fact that large numbers of extrajudicial executions are taking place, even if they disagreed on precise figures.
Second, how compelling is the actual information presented? I found there was considerable variation ranging from submissions which were entirely credible and contextually aware all the way down to some which struck me as superficial and dubious. But the great majority is closer to the top of that spectrum than to the bottom.
Third, has the information proved credible under `cross-examination`. My colleagues and I heard a large number of cases in depth and we probed the stories presented to us in order to ascertain their accuracy and the broader context.
I would repeat today that, based on my fact-finding, there is no reasonable doubt that the military is responsible for a significant number of the killings. Subsequent evidence points to the continuing nature of that practice.
Notwithstanding the evidence I very carefully gathered, many Government officials insisted that large numbers of leftist activists were turning up dead because they were victims of internal purges within the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its associated rebel movement, the New People`s Army (NPA). Indeed, this theory was relentlessly pushed on me.
Is there any evidence for this theory that might shake one`s certainty regarding the evidence for the military`s responsibility? There is not. I repeatedly sought from the military evidence to support these contentions. But the evidence presented by the military is strikingly unconvincing.
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