MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Philippines

19.1.2010

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Marielle De Sarnez on behalf of the ALDE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0043/2010

B7‑0043/2010

European Parliament resolution on Philippines

The European Parliament,

-          having regard to its previous resolutions on the Philippines, in particular its resolution of 12 March 2009

 

-          having regard to the statement of 24 November 2009 by Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner condemning the killings in Maguindanao,

 

-        having regard to the Commission's Country Strategy Paper 2007-2013 for the Philippines,

           

-          having regard to Rule 122 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

 

A.       whereas on the 23 November 2009 in the Maguindanao province of Mindanao a convoy composed of the relatives of a prospective gubernatorial candidate and of journalists and lawyers was intercepted, with 57 men and women shot and killed;

 

B.        whereas on the 4 December President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared martial law in Maguindanao; whereas martial law was lifted on 12 December;

 

C.       whereas eyewitness reports and subsequent investigations implicate members of the police force and of civilian volunteer units (CVOs) in the massacre;

 

D.       whereas the proliferation of private armies and militia in the Philippines, many of whom are armed with government-issue weapons, contributes greatly to insecurity in the country;

 

E.        whereas the trial of the suspected leader and organiser of the massacre Andal Ampatuan Jr opened in Manila in January; whereas several other members of the Ampatuan clan have been accused of involvement in the killings;

F.        whereas since 2001 hundreds of human rights workers, journalists and political activists have been killed or abducted; whereas the GRP has failed to adequately investigate or prosecute these crimes, to address the issue of extra-judicial killings or to investigate the involvement of security forces;

 

G.       whereas, the resumption of the armed conflict between the GRP and the MILF in August 2008 resulted in the internal displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Mindanao; whereas many of these have still to return home,

 

H.       whereas national and local elections are to be held in the Philippines on 10 May 2010 ,

 

 

1.        Condemns the massacre in Maguindanao and calls for all involved to be brought to justice;

 

2.        Calls for the urgent protection of all witnesses, judges, lawyers and prosecutors involved in the investigation and trials, especially in light of the decision in December 2009 of the judge assigned to the case of Andal Ampatuan Jr to step down, citing concerns for the security of his family and staff;

 

3.        Calls on donor countries to offer forensic, investigative and legal assistance and support to the justice department of the Philippines;

 

4.        Welcomes President Arroyo's declaration of 9 December 2009 that private armies will be dismantled before the May elections, calls for adequate support to be given to the commission charged with this task but expresses its concerns that the commission can not achieve its objectives without the full support of the police and military and that some militia or armed groupings may be exempt from the gun ban;

 

5.        Considers that the repeal of Executive Order 546, which authorises civilian volunteer organisations to be used as force multipliers, could be a significant step in combating the culture of private armies and regional political violence;

 

6.        Calls on the GRP to investigate cases of extrajudicial killings and abductions and to address the role of security forces in such crimes; reiterates its call for the GRP to adopt measures to end the systematic intimidation and harassment of political and human rights activists, members of civil society, journalists and witnesses in criminal prosecutions and to ensure effective witness protection;

 

7.        Welcomes the signing in October 2009 of the Financing Agreement of the EU-Philippine Justice Support Programme (EPJUST), which allocates €3.9m for support, assistance and training in strengthening the criminal justice system, in supporting the work of the Commission on Human Rights and of civil society groups; looks forward to the reports of the monitoring system, to be established under EPJUST, that will be responsible for tracking the nation’s progress in combating extrajudicial killings and related abuses;

 

8.        Regrets that the Task Force Usig, a special body established in 2006 to investigate political killings, has had extremely limited success in bringing those responsible for politically motivated killings to justice;

 

9.        Is encouraged by the resumption of peace talks between the GRP and the MILF in Kuala Lumpur in December 2009 and hopes that both parties, along with international partners, can work towards a lasting peace agreement,

 

10.      Welcomes the decision by the Supreme Court to allow the participation of Ang Ladlad in the May elections but expresses its serious concern that the Commission on Elections (COMLEC) initially refused to allow the participation of Ang Ladlad on 'moral grounds';

 

11.      Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments and governments of the Member States and the President and Government of the Philippines.