BRUSSELS: President Aquino presented on Wednesday the arrest of retired general Jovito Palparan as an example that the government does not tolerate extrajudicial killings.
Speaking at a forum at Egmont, the Royal Institute for International Relations, an independent think tank based in Brussels, Aquino said Palparan, accused of human rights violations, is now in jail, and is undergoing trial for the disappearance of two student activists who went missing while under the custody of his men.
“We have instituted a task force whose primary mission is to take cognizance of all of these extrajudicial killings or alleged extra-judicial killings, with the end in view of arresting every culprit regardless of whether it was a media individual, an activist or any other individual,” he said.
Aquino said the government has been investigating all allegations of extra-judicial killings.
“In terms of so-called media killings... and other human rights abuses alleged on our government, it is not our policy to encourage or even abet any transgressions of the law,” he said.
Aquino said he does not agree with blanket statements quoting statistics on extrajudicial killings, including those from the media.
“Did they die because they were investigative journalists?” he asked. “Were they exercising their profession in a responsible manner – living up to journalistic ethics? Or did they perish because of other reasons?”
Aquino said some members of the media were not killed because of their job. He also said finding the culprits and placing them behind bars must be a complete narrative to assure the people that those arrested, judged and jailed are the actual criminals.
Aquino said his administration wants justice for the victims and their families right away, but that the judiciary was beyond the control of the executive.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
