MANILA, Philippines- Batay sa isang United States government report, nananatili ang extra-judicial killings (EJKs) na seryosong problema sa Pilipinas noong 2023 at wala umanong malaking pagbabago sa human rights situation sa bansa.
“EJKs, largely by police but also by other security forces, remained a serious problem,” pahayag ng US Department of State sa 58-page Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
“In addition, politically motivated killings, including of journalists, were reported during the year,” dagdag nito.
Isinusumite taon-taon ang Country Reports on Human Rights Practices ng US Department of State sa US Congress.
Sa kabila nito, sinabi ng State Dept. na bumaba ang bilan ng EJKs sa bansa noong 2023.
“There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in the Philippines during the year, although the number of incidents of arbitrary and extrajudicial killings and of some other abuses by government agents decreased,” saad sa ulat.
Batay sa datos mula sa isang non-governmental organization, sinabi ng departamento na mayroong 209 pagpatay na iniuugnay sa anti-drug operations mula January hanggang August 2023.
Sinabi nito na inimbestigahan din ng Commission on Human Rights (CHR) ang 51 bagong reklamo ng umano’y EJKs o politically motivated killings.
Kabilang dito ang 82 biktima na umano’y isinagawa ng anim na tauhan ng Philippine National Police (PNP), dalawang miyembro ng militar, pitong insurgents, apat na sibilyan at 33 hindi natukoy na indibidwal.
Samantala, inimbestigahan ng CHR ang 15 drug-related EJKs sa 18 biktima at pagkakasangkot ng PNP sa walo sa mga kaso.
Sinabi ng State Dept. na inimbestigahan ng ibang ahensya tulad ng PNP Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), at ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) kung “justifiable” ang security force killings.
Sa nasabing kaso ng EJKs, binigyang-diin sa ulat ang kaso ng pagpatay kay Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo at lima pang indibidwal noong March 2023 ng hindi natukoy na mga indibidwal. Binanggit din nito na anim na Navotas City police officers na pumaslang sa 17-anyos na si Jemboy Baltazar noong August.
“The government investigated some reported human rights abuses, including abuses by its security forces and paramilitary forces. Concerns about police impunity remained, given reports of continued extrajudicial killings by police,” saad sa report.
“Significant concerns also persisted about impunity for other security forces, and civilian national and local government officials,” dagdag nito.
Base sa State Dept., “Impunity was a significant problem in the security forces, particularly in the PNP,” batay sa ulat ng local and international human rights organizations tulad ng Amnesty International at Human Rights Watch. RNT
