Lack of due diligence denies justice in extrajudicial cases
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:47:00 06/18/2008
Filed Under: political killings, Justice & Rights, Human Rights
MANILA, Philippines—Poor forensic investigation by Philippine authorities is a major stumbling block in getting justice for victims of extrajudicial killings, the London-based rights group Amnesty International (AI) said Tuesday.
AI Philippine director Aurora Parong said that even if cases had been filed against alleged perpetrators of summary executions, justice remained elusive.
“This is because forensic investigations of human rights violations are not done with due diligence, either because of unwillingness to do so or because of incompetence to do good investigations,” Parong said in a statement.
She also decried the slow prosecution of cases of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations.
“The officials of the Department of Justice and the judiciary should give focus on rendering justice to victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances,” Parong said.
AI noted that while incidents dipped last year, extrajudicial killings and disappearances continued.
Parong said that while families of victims of killings and abductions could resort to filing for writs of amparo and habeas data to get justice, these were hardly known to most people.
“But even these are not known by most of the ordinary people. The law and the judiciary must be brought closer to the people so that they can use these laws for their own good and protection,” she said.
The AI official also urged lawmakers to “work fast” in crafting legislation improving the witness protection program and making extrajudicial killing a crime different from murder.
AI had earlier warned that killings and abductions of activists could surge again this year unless the government effectively prosecuted the perpetrators.
In its 2008 report on worldwide human rights, AI noted that cases dropped due to international pressure, but said that “few prosecutions” were brought against the perpetrators.
According to AI, there were 33 victims of extrajudicial killings in 2007, down from 61 to 96 cases the previous year, while there were only several victims of disappearance last year.
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