Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-06-14-Speech-4-398-000"
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"en.20120614.28.4-398-000"2
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"Mr President, the issue of impunity, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances are unfortunately long-term challenges in the Philippines that have been widely acknowledged. This is why, for the European Union, support for the reform of the justice sector and the fight against impunity in the area of extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances are key issues on the human rights agenda with the Philippines.
Only two weeks ago, the EU, through its Member States in the UN Human Rights Council, actively participated in the Second Universal Periodic Review of the Philippines. Extrajudicial killings, torture and the need for a functioning witness protection programme were among the main concerns raised in this second round of the peer-review process.
I welcome the fact that on that occasion the government of the Philippines presented its human rights agenda and notable progress since the last review in 2008. As the House will know, we have been encouraging the administration of President Aquino to speed up the process of prosecution of the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, including those responsible for the Maguindanao massacre, and to put in place a comprehensive and reliable set of measures to prevent these acts from reoccurring.
There were many previous attempts to address this issue and the course now set by President Aquino is in the right direction. We all welcome the commitment and the progress made by the Aquino administration in addressing human rights, the culture of impunity and respect for the rule of law in the Philippines. The ratification of the Rome Statute and of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an excellent step forward. I warmly welcome it.
However, there is a need to achieve more progress. The serious lack of trust in public offices is an endemic historical and structural political problem. Therefore, we encourage President Aquino not only to address corruption and fraud committed by the previous administration but also to fight impunity.
We were encouraged by the requests of the government of the Philippines for EU assistance. We responded with the Justice Support Programme (EPJUST) 2009-2011, which provided technical assistance for strengthening capacity, particularly in the investigative and judicial areas. Achievements of that EPJUST programme included a decrease in the number of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances – from around 300 cases in 2006 down to three in 2011 – increased quality in the investigations of murder and abduction cases that have been filed, and an increased number of cases filed at the prosecutor’s office.
Let me assure you that the EU remains active in cooperating with the Philippines on human rights issues and in particular in the justice sector to address impunity. We have recently approved a EUR 10 million programme that will build on the work carried out through EPJUST and focus on strengthening the criminal justice system."@en1
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