Benigno Aquino III, the new president of the Philippines is a “no” man.
Taking his oath of office last week Aquino has said no to siren-laden motorcades, no more junkets and no more senseless spending.
He has also said there will be no more influence-peddling, no more patronage politics, no more stealing and no going back on campaign promises.
Filipino-Canadians now want Aquino to say another “no” – no more extra-judicial political assassinations which have plagued the country for the last decade and during the reign of his predecessor Gloria Arroyo.
Human-rights group Karapatan recorded 1,190 victims of extrajudicial killings under the Arroyo regime, from January 2001 to March 2010.
The Philippines is also one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to operate.
According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), 104 journalists have been murdered under the Arroyo regime.
There had been 205 victims of enforced disappearances, 1,028 victims of torture, and hundreds of thousands were forcibly displaced in rural areas as a result of military operations.
The Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights is urging Ottawa to work with the new Philippine administration by sending a formal observer mission to the Southeast Asian nation within the next three to six months to look into the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation and the measures taken President Aquino to address the problem.
“We strongly recommend the suspension of financial aid, military training, sales of military equipment and all forms of support to the Philippine military until concrete actions are taken to put an end to the the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests and detention,” the Vancouver-based group said in a statement.
There are an estimated 400,000 people of Philippine origin in Canada.
The Canadian government delivers approximately $20 million on an annual basis in overseas development aid to the Philippines mainly through the Canadian International Development Agency to “foster efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable governance at all levels.”
In addition Canada’s Military Training Program (MTAP) has provided army personnel from the Philippines with training in Canada on “peace support operations, staff training and language” since 1997.
In an open letter to President Aquino III, the Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights sent its hopes to Manila hoping that the new leader will use his political will to do what is just and right for the people he is tasked to protect and to serve.
“As a solidarity group of Canadians and Filipinos working to promote and defend human rights in
the Philippines, we urge the new President to use the resources and powers of his office to realize
the vision of a Philippines, in which all people live in human dignity, and enjoy their human rights
in the country.”
“Extrajudicial killings will not be effectively stopped for as long as there exists a culture of impunity. We urge President Aquino to immediately order the investigation of all the reported cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances since 2001 and the speedy prosecution of those responsible for the crimes,” the group said in its letter.
Presdient Aquino III, who took office June 30, has already vowed to jail perpetrators and seek justice for hundreds of victims of extrajudicial killings after the European Union pledged 3.9 million euros ($5.36 million) for an EU-Philippines Justice Support Program to help create a national monitoring group for the killings and disappearances.
Last week, the World Council of Churches sent a letter to President Aquino III on Tuesday condemning the latest killings of Benjamin Bayles and Jovelito Agustin.
Both victims were active lay ministers in their churches and known to be outspoken advocates of human rights. Bayles was a human rights advocate involved with peasants and worker organizations. And Agustin was a broadcaster who helped victims of illegal recruitment and defended workers’ rights. They were murdered by suspected paramilitary groups on June 14 and 15, respectively.
“We are deeply concerned by the ongoing extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and continuing impunity in the Philippines that have caused the lives of many civilians who raise their voices denouncing human rights violations and asking for justice and lasting peace,” wrote the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the council, in his letter.
In the month of June alone in the Philippines, there were six extrajudicial killings, including those of Bayles and Agustin.
Amnesty International Philippines in a letter to President Aquino said : “the politically motivated killings of atl east 100 people ahead of the recent elections, the massacre of journalists in Maguindanao, the hundreds of killings and enforced disappearances of activists in the last decade are all symptoms of a country whose government has failed to respect and protect the rights of its people.”
“Mr. President, you have pledged to be a President who will bring forth transformational change in the Philippines in order to reclaim our nation’s greatness.  The Filipino peoples pin high hopes on you,” the group said.