THE National Police assured the United Nations team looking into political killings in the country of its full cooperation.

Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., National Police deputy chief for administration and Task Force Usig commander, welcomed the UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston who is in the country on the invitation of the government to conduct an independent investigation into reported politically related killings.

Razon and other police officials briefed Alston on the ongoing efforts of the National Police to investigate the separate cases of murder and abduction committed against some members of militant cause-oriented groups, journalists and some government officials.

Alston expressed appreciation at the creation of Razon’s task force, a unit dedicated to coordinating all police investigation efforts that will lead to the solution of the cases and prosecution of suspects.

Razon told Alston that the National Police “supports the objectives of the UN team and we will extend all the assistance it needs to conduct a fruitful and fair search of the truth.”

He told Alston that some aspects of the investigation are sometimes hampered by lack of witnesses and noncooperation of the victims’ kin and the organizations to which they belong.

Razon, however, assured the UN team that all these cases are being addressed with utmost attention and urgency.

Razon expressed confidence that the UN investigation “will be objective and broad to include the alleged acts of murder and terror committed by the local communist movement against their own members.”

He cited the fact that a total of 1,334 government officials had been assassinated by local communist rebels over the past several years. Razon provided the UN team with a copy of the list.

During the briefing for the UN team, Razon mentioned in passing the findings of the Melo Commission that found no particular pattern in the cases of murder committed against members of militant organizations.

During the same meeting, Razon presented Renato Bugtong and Edwin Mascariñas, who were earlier listed by militant Party-list groups as victims of summary execution, but have turned out to be very much alive.

Razon said the case of Bugtong and Mascariñas bolstered suspicions that the militant organizations had been bloating their figures of alleged victims of political violence.

He also mentioned that a large number of those listed by militant groups as victims where actually killed in legitimate encounters with government security forces.

The European Commission (EC) meanwhile is seeking transparency in the current investigation being conducted by the Melo Commission created by President Arroyo, citing any form of assistance from its end would be based on the outcome of the local probe.

Eneko Landaburu, director general for external relations of the European Commission, said the request for assistance made by President Arroyo last year in addressing extrajudicial killings in the country is now being discussed by leaders of the EU members in Brussels.

“We are continuing to view very seriously the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. We have been requested to help and we are now discussing how to do usefully, and appropriately contribution in that direction,” said Landaburu in a news conference on Wednesday.

Landaburu needs to get more information on the issue by asking for a copy of the Melo Commission report.

“On this basis, we will discuss among us, the member-states and the European institutions and we’ll see in which way we can make some further progress and we will decide our position. But we need to know the report,” said Landaburu

Landaburu led the EU delegation for the 5th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) between the EU and the Philippines held in Manila on February 12 and 13.

The EU is pushing for a Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the Philippines that allows senior officials of both sides to discuss policy issues relating to security, trade, peace process, health and social security and development programs.

The parties discussed political and economic issues that include peace agreement being pushed by the Philippine government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The EU which has listed the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) as foreign terrorist organizations also asked the Marxist rebels to go back to the peace negotiating table.

“The EC underlined its efforts to increase its bilateral assistance to the Philippines focusing on social issues, including health, trade-related technical assistance and governance,” the joint statement of the 5th EC-Philippines Senior Officials Meeting said in part.

“It [EC] emphasized its commitment to the peace process and development of Mindanao which would be duly reflected in its assistance program,” said the joint statement.

The EU officials also said that the proposed assistance to address extrajudicial killings in the Philippines is a separate track from the current investigations being conducted by United Nations rapporteur on extrajudicial killings from February 12 to 19.

THE National Police assured the United Nations team looking into political killings in the country of its full cooperation.

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