Manila's Arroyo vows to stop political violence
Source: Reuters
MANILA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on Wednesday the vast majority of the military was not involved in political violence despite an inquiry commission blaming soldiers for killings of leftwing activists. In comments to diplomats based in Manila, Arroyo said she believed "99.9 percent of our military are good, hardworking and patriotic Filipinos". "They do heroic things like killing terrorists in battle, putting their lives on the line everyday to protect the nation and make our homeland safer," she said, adding the inquiry had showed communist rebels were also behind the violence. On Tuesday, a five-member inquiry panel headed by a retired Supreme Court justice said "elements in the military" were behind the fatal shootings of leftist activists, farmers and village organisers. Arroyo said her government would work closely with powerful Roman Catholic bishops, leftist activists, journalists and even European rights advocates to solve hundreds of disappearances and murders since she took power in 2001. She also appealed to witnesses and families and relatives of victims of political violence to come forward and show evidence to bring to justice those behind the killings, including soldiers and police officers. "We will do everything in our power to crack down on political violence leading up to this May elections," Arroyo told the diplomats during a traditional New Year's toast at the Malacanang presidential palace. "We will not stand for the election in May disrupted by violence or political intimidation." The Philippines will hold congressional elections in May and to thousands of local government posts around the country. Leftist groups and right advocates shunned the inquiry panel, accusing it as a government tool to cover up the involvement of security forces in about 700 cases of abduction and murders.
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