HOUSE minority leader Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Thursday called on newly installed Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to look into the alleged involvement of the military in the extra-judicial killings in the country.
Escudero, the congressman from the First District of Sorsogon, said the Department of National Defense should initiate its own investigation to determine if indeed the Armed Forces of the Philippines had a hand in the killings.
He said in Sorsogon alone, six Bayan Muna members have fallen victims under the Arroyo administration, two of which were shot dead last January 2007. The first one was Bayan Muna Sorsogon City Chair and radio broadcaster Ricardo Uy on November 18, 2005.
“The extra-judicial killings not only in Sorsogon but also in other parts of the country are increasing and yet the government seems to be futile in addressing this problem in the countryside. We have to give justice to the victims and put the culprits behind bars,” the House minority leader stressed.
Escudero urged Malacanang to make public the 89-page report of the Melo Commission tasked to investigate the unabated killing of leftist activists to dispel suspicions that there was a cover up in the probe to absolve ranking military officials.
“I doubt if some soldiers as stated in the report had acted on their own in killing these people. There might be someone ordering them to eradicate members of militant organizations,” the congressman said.
He pressed for the creation of another investigating body to look into the alleged involvement of the AFP in the killing of leftist activists. “The independent commission should not be created by the executive branch but by the legislature in order to erase any doubt of whitewash.”
Escudero urged the House committee on human rights to hasten the approval of a joint resolution creating an independent commission to investigate the extrajudicial killings under the Arroyo administration.
The joint resolution filed in May 2006 is still pending in the House committee on human rights. House Resolution 1030 co-authored by Escudero which seeks to investigate the possible involvement of the AFP in the killing of a Bayan Muna head in Sorsogon filed in November 2005 is also pending in the committee on national defense.
Under the Arroyo regime, more than 820 members, leaders and supporters of militant groups and people’s organizations have already been killed.
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