WASHINGTON D.C. – The government’s failure to solve and prosecute those responsible for extra-judicial political killings, including those of journalists, have given rise to a “climate of impunity” in the Philippines, according to the US State Department’s annual report on human rights around the world.

The State Department report released March 7 said that during the year, a number of unexplained killings in the Philippines were committed “apparently by elements of the security services and of political killings, including killings of journalists, by a variety of actors.”

“Many of these killings went unsolved and unpunished, contributing to a climate of impunity, despite intensified government efforts during the year to investigate and prosecute these cases," the report said.

The State Department in effect confirmed the initial findings of the Melo Commission and the United Nations probe team both of which virtually blamed the military for a significant number of the political killings in the Philippines.

In Manila, Malacanang said it considered the State Department report as “constructive criticism” but said the government has been doing its best to solve the murders of journalists, activists and churchmen. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said  “The Philippine government is carrying the agenda of President Arroyo on unexplained killings forward by setting up special courts, fielding special  prosecutors, protecting witnesses, and instituting strict internal controls within the military and police.”

The State Department acknowledged, however, that some of the killings of government officials, soldiers, police officers and civilians were done by the communist rebels.

The NPA, as well as some Islamic separatist groups, was also responsible for a number of illegal detentions, often in connection with informal courts set up to try military personnel, police, local politicians, and other persons for “crimes against the people,” the report added.

The State Department said arbitrary or warrantless arrests and detentions were common in the Philippines. It linked the Philippines’ “security forces” to a number of arbitrary, unlawful and extra-judicial killings in the country.

The 2006 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in the Philippines said ‘security forces" have been committing abuses against civilians through killings, disappearances, torture and arbitrary arrest and detention.

It stressed the unsolved extra-judicial killings and the government’s failure to prosecute those responsible contribute to a climate of impunity in the country.

“Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces; however, some elements of these security forces committed human rights abuses," the report said.

The physical abuse of suspects and detainees also remained a problem, as did police, prosecutorial and judicial corruption, it added.

‘Members of the security services committed acts of physical and psychological abuse on suspects and detainees, and there were instances of torture,’ the report said.

“The (Philippines') Commission on Human Rights provides the police with mandatory human rights training, and senior PNP (Philippine National Police) officials appeared receptive to respecting the human rights of detainees; however, rank-and-file awareness of the rights of detainees remained inadequate," it added.

Citing a report of non-government organization (NGO) Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), the State Department said torture remained an ingrained part of the arrest and detention process. Common forms of abuse during arrest and interrogation reportedly included striking detainees and threatening them with guns, it added.

“The TFDP reported that arresting officers often carried out such beatings in the early stages of detention," the State Department said.

It also observed that during a brief state of emergency declared in Feb. 2006 by President Arroyo, there was some attempted interference in freedom of the press and in the right of assembly.

In addition to the killings, left-wing and human rights activists were often subjected to harassment by local security forces, the 21-page report said.

It added arbitrary or warrantless arrests and detentions were common and noted that trials were delayed and  procedures were prolonged.

Problems such as violence against women and abuse of children, child prostitution, trafficking in persons, child labor and ineffective enforcement of worker rights were also common, the State Department said.

“Corruption was a problem in all the institutions making up the criminal justice system, including police, prosecutorial, and judicial organs," the report said.

The report said trials were delayed and procedures were prolonged, while the prisoners are awaiting trial and those already convicted were often held under “primitive” conditions.

Leftwing and human rights activists were often subject to harassment by local security forces, the report added.

“Corruption appeared to be a problem at higher levels of authority within the prison system as well," the report said. “Favored inmates reportedly enjoyed access to prostitutes and drugs."

“Guards sometimes demanded that prisoners pay to receive food, to use sanitary facilities, and to avoid beatings by other prisoners. Jail administrators reportedly delegated to senior inmates authority to maintain order."

The report said prison conditions in the Philippines were “rudimentary and sometimes harsh."

Quoting the Commission on Human Rights, the report said the PNP is the “worst abuser of human rights” because of “arbitrary, unlawful, and extrajudicial killings by elements of the security services; political killings, including journalists, by a variety of actors, which often go unpunished; disappearances.".

The report also noted that while the Arroyo government attempted to interfere with the working of the press, the government generally respected press rights.  “The law provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and, except for a few instances during a week-long imposition of a state of national emergency (in February 2006), the government generally respected these rights in practice,” it said.  The report said the media were active and “expressed a wide variety of views without restriction.” “Broadcast and print media were freewheeling and often criticized for lacking rigorous journalistic ethics. They tended to reflect the particular political or economic orientations of owners, publishers, or patrons, some of whom were close associates of present or past high-level officials.  Special interests often used bribes and other inducements to solicit one-sided and erroneous reports and commentaries that supported their positions,” it added.

On the killing of media men, the report noted human rights groups have frequently criticized government for failing to protect journalists. “In some situations, it was difficult to discern if violence against journalists was carried out in retribution for their profession or if these journalists were the victims of random crime,” it said.  The report cited a study of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility in September 2005 which said most of the slain journalists  were not professionally trained as journalists or formally accredited to any national media organization.  CMFR listed 61 journalists killed since democracy was restored in 1986.

The report noted the lack of progress in the prosecution of suspects in the killing of workers who staged a strike at Hacienda Luisita. It cited the March 2005 murder of Bayan Muna coordinator Felidito Dacut and the deaths of United Church of Christ pastors in May and August 2005. Ermita said the US, being a long-time ally, “does not want to castigate” the Philippines.

“Mas gusto nilang paalalahanan tayo para hindi ito maging thorn in the neck sa ating relations with them,” he said. He said the US knows that the Philippine government is doing something about the issue, through the PNP’s Task Force Usig and the Melo Commission.