Friday, January 18, 2008
RP leader cites drop in political killings, but numbers differ from activists' (7:17 p.m.)
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Friday her government made "significant progress" in reducing political killings in 2007, but critics countered that violence was far from over.
Addressing foreign diplomats, Arroyo cited police figures that showed 7 political activists and journalists were killed in 2007, compared to 41 the year before.
"Significant progress has been made in our fight against political violence," Arroyo said.
"While we are pleased with the progress, we will not be satisfied until every last incidence of violence has stopped and every criminal prosecuted and behind bars," she said.
The human rights group Karapatan also reported that considerably fewer activists were killed or abducted last year, but gave figures far higher than those from the police - 68 activists slain and 26 missing, down from 185 dead and 93 missing in 2006.
The U.S. Senate has urged the Philippines to prosecute human rights violators, including soldiers, or risk losing additional military aid.
Local activists scoffed at the police figures cited by Arroyo and said the decline in the number of political killings was due to "international and local pressure generated by the people's anger over the killings" - not by any measure taken by her government - said Carl Ala, a spokesman for the left-wing National Peasant Movement.
"Actually we feel bad that she is claiming credit when in fact it was the citizens themselves who have worked to stop these killings," he said. "If the pressure continues, it may continue to abate."
Ala also cited the alleged police killing of a peasant organizer in central Masbate province earlier this week. (AP)
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