MANILA, Philippines?Presumptive president-elect Benigno Aquino III Monday pledged after meeting with a high-powered group of European ambassadors to track down assassins involved in extrajudicial killings, saying there must be a ?closure? to the bloody chapter of unresolved murders in the Philippines.

Human rights, the peace process and foreign investment issues were among the topics discussed broadly during the meeting between Aquino and ambassadors and heads of mission from the European Union (EU), who paid him a courtesy call and congratulated him in the wake of his apparent election as the country?s 15th President.

In Dumaguete City, the newly installed secretary general of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Bishop Reuel Norman O. Marigza, said the church was considering filing a class suit against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to attain justice for church martyrs killed during her administration.

Inquirer tallies show at least 310 political activists have been killed since Ms Arroyo assumed office in June 2001. Human rights group Karapatan pegs the number of killed members of militant groups at 470.

?In advance of the formal proclamation, we want to congratulate Sen. Aquino,? EU Ambassador Alistair McDonald said in a joint press conference with 12 fellow ambassadors and Aquino at the latter?s Times Street home in Quezon City.

The European Union has been a vocal critic of human rights violations under the Arroyo administration, calling for an end to a so-called ?culture of impunity? where most of the perpetrators were allegedly members of state security forces.

?There must be closure?

?Cases of extrajudicial killings need to be solved, not just identify the perpetrators but have them captured and sent to jail,? Aquino said at the press conference.

?That?s part of the agenda [of the incoming administration]? Judicial reform is so important. There has to be closure as soon as possible, which means not the usual average of six years,? he added.

Aquino said that he and the ambassadors particularly discussed the Maguindanao massacre.

He reiterated to the media his promise of justice for the massacre victims, declaring that families ?who think they are above the law will not be tolerated anymore.?

Aquino said the influence of such families could be brought to an end by simply withdrawing their security details to ?enforce correct behavior.?

Aquino did not name any specific family. Members of the politically influential Ampatuan clan have been charged with murder in connection with the November 2009 slaughter of 57 people, 32 of whom were media workers.

Learning from Europe

As for the peace process, Aquino said there was much to be learned from the experiences of several European countries, which were able to resolve their internal conflicts.

The Philippines, he said, can adopt according to its own context ?methods used to resolve the really serious divisions and festering animosities.?

?We can learn from what they attempted to do, what was successful, what was not successful and, in that sense, apply it as much as possible to our own context, thereby ? being able to really advance the cause of attaining peace not only in Mindanao, but in other portions of the country beset with insurrections or rebellion,? Aquino said.

On the issue of foreign investments, Aquino said that a ?one-stop shop? was being mulled by his administration to cut the red tape and bureaucracy to attract more foreign investors.

The heads of all EU diplomatic missions in Manila were present at the courtesy call, namely: Ambassadors Wilhelm Donko (Austria), Josef Rychtar (Czech Republic), Heikki Hannikainen (Finland), Christian Ludwig Weber-Lortsch (Germany), Xenia Stefanidou (Greece), Luca Fornari (Italy), Valeriu Gheorghe (Romania), Luis Arias Romero (Spain), Stephen Lillie (UK), together with Deputy Heads of Mission René Peeters (Belgium), Didier Ortolland (France) and Anita van de Haar-Conijn (The Netherlands).

Encouraging signals

?We wanted to hear from Senator Aquino how he thought the European Union will work with his administration to help strengthen Philippine-EU relations and help contribute to the future growth of the Philippines,? Ambassador McDonald said.

The EU delegation?s visit was the fourth courtesy call made on Aquino by foreign dignitaries since unofficial results in the May 10 elections showed him headed towards the presidency.

Aquino said ?specifics? were not discussed in his meeting with the ambassadors but he took the press conference as a chance to declare that there should be ?closure on all issues of extrajudicial killings.?

German Ambassador Christian Ludwig Weber-Lortsch said he saw ?encouraging signals? from Aquino to ?build and rebuild trust? in doing business in the Philippines.

The Philippines and Germany had been entangled in a legal controversy as a result of the construction of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, which involved the German company Fraport.

?I am really convinced that within this environment we?ll find solutions for the glitches or residual dust from the past,? Weber-Lortsch said.

No more immunity

Bishop Marigza made his statement during his installation on Saturday in ceremonies at Silliman University Church. He said the UCCP had yet to decide when and where to file the suit.

?We are asking lawyers to take a look at the possibility of filing a class suit against President Arroyo when she loses her immunity after she steps down from office,? the bishop said in an interview on Monday.

Twenty-five UCCP members were among the victims of extra judicial killings since 2001. Several UCCP members are also among the over 200 victims of enforced disappearances.