We are concerned about the upsurge of politically motivated killings and the constant deterioration of the human
rights situation in the Philippines in recent years. Amnesty International informs that at least 51 political killings
took place in the first half of 2006, compared to the 66 killings recorded in the whole of 2005. Since March 2006
we received an increasing number of reports on political killings – at times on a daily basis. We are particularly worried
about the killings representing a pattern to target a broad range of critical and non-violent people involved in local or national
politics.
We recognise the government’s initiative to increase efforts towards investigations into a number of assassinations. We
stress the need to sustain these efforts, to investigate all political killings and to prosecute the perpetrators and their accomplices
and to give justice to the victims and their families in order to prevent further escalation and grievance. We
support civil society initiatives and efforts to press for investigations of political killings and human rights abuses.
We also condemn the violence and killings of the armed opposition groups. Their doings should however not be used as
a justification for human rights violations and killings committed by paramilitary forces and the government. The use of
paramilitary forces in the Philippine government’s all-out war against the New People’s Army (NPA) and other armed
left groups as well as the spread of armed paramilitaries is particularly worrying. The decision of the Communist Party of
the Philippines’ (CPP) leadership to set up armed partisan forces counterattacking operatives and masterminds of the killings
does also cause great concern. We believe that these developments will lead to further deterioration of the human
rights situation, severely threatening those engaged in non-violent, critical and investigative forms of civil and political
activism.
We call on all government departments concerned, especially the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Philippine National
Police (PNP), to investigate all killings with a political background, prosecute the perpetrators and their accomplices and
to deliver justice to the victims and their families.
We call for the implementation of Republic Act 6981, providing witness protection, security and protection for activists
facing death-threats.
We call for an independent investigation into the Department of Defence and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to investigate
allegations concerning the use of political assassination as a counter-insurgency strategy.
We call on both the government and the CPP to continue serious peace negotiations and to respect human rights.
We call on the armed opposition groups to refrain from the use of political killings.
We call our own governments and the United Nations (UN) to pay attention to these alarming developments and to urge
the Philippine government to end the killings and guarantee justice for all victims.
Amnesty International German Section, Germany
Asia Foundation, Germany
Asia House, Germany
Babaylan, The Philippine Women’s Network in Europe, Germany
Babaylanes, Germany
Bayanihan - Philippine Women’s Center,
Netherlands
Bishop Muskens of the Diocese of Breda,
Netherlands
Mr. Harry van Bommel, Member of Parliament
for the Socialist Party, Netherlands
South-North Exchange of Peoples Organizations
(BOND), Belgium
Prof. Theo van Boven, Professor of International
Law, University of Maastricht,
Former UN Special Rapporteur
on Torture and Former Director of the
UN Human Rights Division, Netherlands
Bread for the World, Germany
Ms. Brid Brennan, Transnational Institute,
Netherlands
Broederlijk Delen, Belgium
Bundeskoordination Internationalismus
(BUKO), Germany
Christian Aid, United Kingdom
Church Development Service (EED),
Germany
CMC Mensen met een missie, Dutch
Catholic Missionary Development
Agency, Netherlands
11.11.11 - Coalition of the Flemish
North-South Movement, Belgium
Conference of Religious in the Netherlands
(KNR), Netherlands
CORDAID, Netherlands
Critical Ecology - Institute of Applied
Cultural Research, Germany
Mr. Boris Dittrich, Member of Parliament
for the Democrats ’66, Netherlands
Rev. Dr. Markus Dröge, Conference
Minister of Koblenz District Conference,
Germany
Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe
(EYCE), Belgium
Ms. Angelien Eijsink, Member of Parliament
for the Social Democratic Party
(PvdA), Netherlands
Evangelical Church in the Rhineland,
Germany
Evangelical Church of Westphalia, Germany
Philippine Solidarity Group (FGN),
Netherlands
Ms. Thea Fierens, Member of Parliament
for the Social Democratic Party (PvdA),
Netherlands
Finnish Asiatic Society, Finland
Finnish Philippine Society, Finland
Prof. Kees Flinterman, Professor of Human
Rights, University of Utrecht, Netherlands
Prof. Bas de Gaay Fortman, Professor of
Political Economy of Human Rights,
University of Utrecht, Netherlands
Ms. Cecilia Jimenez, Geneva Forum for
Philippine Concerns (GFPC), Switzerland
Femke Halsema, Farah Karimi, Wijnand
Duyverdak, Ineke van Gent, Nevin
Özütok, Paul Jongbloed, Members of
Parliament, Green Left Party, Netherlands
Interchurch Organisation for Development
Cooperation (ICCO), Netherlands
Dutch section of the International
Commission of Jurists (NJCM), Netherlands
International Peace Observers Network
(IPON), Germany
Justitia et Pax, Netherlands
Prof. Menno T. Kamminga, Professor of
International Law, Director - Maastricht
Centre for Human Rights, University of
Maastricht, Netherlands
Karl Kübel Foundation, Germany
Kindernothilfe (KNH), Germany
Philippine-European Solidarity Center
(KSP), Netherlands
Foundation Lawyers for Lawyers, Netherlands
Misereor, Germany
Missio-Munich, Germany
Missionszentrale der Franziskaner
(MZF), Germany
Netherlands Humanistic Committee on
Human Rights (HOM), Netherlands
Mr. Nonoi Hacbang, Commission for
Filipino Migrant Workers (CFAW),
Netherlands
Office of Mission, Ecumenism and
Global Responsibility of the Evangelical
Church of Westphalia, Germany
One World Action, United Kingdom
One World Network Network
Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany
Oxfam Novib, Netherlands
Partnership Third World, Germany
Pax Christi German Section, Germany
Pax Christi International, Belgium
Philippinenbüro, Germany
Philippine Solidarity Group- Protestant
Church of Jülich, Germany
Philippine Indigenous People’s Links,
United Kingdom
ProMISPA Friends of the Philippines,
Germany
Reporters Without Borders, International
Dr. Frithjof Schmidt, Member of the
European Parliament, Germany
Ms. Dorothea Seeliger, Commissioner
on Human Rights, Koblenz Church District
Conference, Germany
Southeast Asia Information Office, Germany
Ms. Katharina Stahlenbrecher, Asia
Working Group, Stiftung Umverteilen!,
Germany
Terre des Femmes, Germany
Terre des Hommes, Germany
Task Force Carabao, Germany
Trade Union Solidarity Centre of
Finland (SASK), Finland
United Evangelical Mission
(VEM/UEM), Germany
United Society for the Propagation of
the Gospel (USPG), United Kingdom
Ms. Pietje Vervest, Transnational Institute,
Netherlands
Dr. Rainer Werning, Political Scientist
and Author, Germany
Workers´ Educational Association of
Finland, Finland
XminusY Solidarity Fund, Netherland