MANILA – US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told ABS-CBN in an exclusive interview July 31 he believes that the Philippines could halt the spate of extrajudicial killings in the country if the authorities would focus on the cases of politically related murders.
“We of course know about these reports although the facts are not entirely clear as to the extent to which these killings might be occurring. What we want to do is encourage the authorities, the appropriate authorities, to look into these matters and give them the attention that they deserve," Negroponte told Maria Ressa, ABS-CBN news and current affairs chief.
Negroponte,
former US ambassador to the Philippines, was here to attend the Asean
ministerial conference in Manila that ended Aug. 2. Negroponte added:
“We’re confident that the democratic spirit that exists in the
Philippines and the concern for justice that exists here, your
government and your country could deal with this kind of situation.
But it’s a situation that bears watching."
Cases
of political killings hound the Arroyo administration not only in the
country but also in the international community for its alleged
failure to stop the murders. Left-leaning groups have accused
President Arroyo and the military of involvement in the slays.
The
human rights group Karapatan estimated that more than 800 cases of
extrajudicial killings have taken place since Mrs. Arroyo took power
in January 2001.
Negroponte,
meanwhile, reiterated Washington’s support for the Philippines amid
the proposal by the State Department to cut foreign military funding.
“Actually,
the money that we’re seeking is money that’s been planned over a
five year period. I think there’s a slight dip this year but
basically, we want to provide a consistent level of military
support," he said.
He
also lauded the “significant progress” of the Philippine military
in terms of improving its capability.
Negroponte
served as US ambassador to the Philippines from 1993 to 1996.
He
subsequently served as US permanent representative to the United
Nations from 2001 to 2004 and was ambassador to Iraq from June 2004
to April 2005.
Prior
to his appointment in the state department, he was the first ever US
director of national intelligence.
