UN to conduct own probe of extra-judicial killings in Philippines

Manila - The United Nations will conduct its own probe on the unabated extra-judicial killings in the Philippines, which were being blamed on the military, a foreign affairs official said Tuesday. Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission for Human Rights, will conduct the probe from February 12 to 21, according to the official, who requested anonymity. Alston will be travelling to various parts of the country to meet with various government and non-government organizations that can shed light on the attacks. The Philippines has sent invitations to seven European countries and the European Commission to help investigate the killings, which have claimed the lives of hundreds of political activists. A preliminary report of a commission formed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last year to probe the killings indicated that majority of the attacks were perpetrated by the military. Arroyo, however, refused to make public the full content of the report and ordered the commission, headed by retired Supreme Court justice Jose Melo, to continue the investigation. More than 800 people have become victims of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines since 2001, most of whom were leftist activists. Other victims were human rights workers, labour and peasant leaders, as well as journalists. Since the start of the year, 10 people, mostly activists, have already been killed in the continuing attacks, according to local human rights group Karapatan. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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UN to conduct own probe of extra-judicial killings in Philippines

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