Below is the statement issued on Jan. 31 by Editha Inday Duterte, regional spokesperson of Anakpawis in Southern Mindanao
DAVAO CITY A progressive party-list here challenged today the Melo Commission and Malacaang to file appropriate charges as soon as possible against top military officers found involved in the killings of members and leaders of militant organizations and progressive party-lists.
Editha Inday Duterte said today that after the probe body found some military officials having a hand in the series of killings last year its high time now to prove that all these investigations by the probe body are not just mere pakitang-tao to calm down pressures from various groups and the international community.
Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo formed the Melo Commission last year at the height of pressures and condemnations from different religious organizations, human rights bodies and governments from other countries.
We can only hope that the government will take this seriously, take the butchers in the military to jail and bring justice to the victims and their families, Duterte said.
Majority of the victims of the political killings last year were peasants and workers, most of whom are members of Anakpawis. Even before Melo Commission started to investigate the killings, we have already gathered data that shows that the military is indeed involved in those killings, Duterte said.
Duterte said that regardless of the outcome of this effort by the government to solve the killings, we would still be demanding justice for our slain members and other militants and progressive leaders.
Duterte warns of another series of killings this quarter of the year especially that the election is near. As early as now, we are once again experiencing red-tagging from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), branding us as fronts of the communist movement and telling people not to support us. Worse, peasant communities have experienced harassments from the military for allegedly being supporters of the New People’s Army.
Despite this, we shall continue to pursue our campaigns and struggles of genuine land reform, wage increase, employment, among others. We shall likewise continue to put these issues forward in the halls of congress. Duterte said. #
[tags]davao today, anakpawis, human rights, philippines, mindanao, melo commission, political killings[/tags]
Extrajudicial Killings
