APPARENTLY pressured by accusations that it is involved in extrajudicial killings, which it repeatedly denied, the Armed Forces has started pre-trial investigation against personnel and officers accused of human-rights violations.

Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, the chief of the Armed Forces public information office, said that if investigators find probable cause against the accused, they will be tried by the five general courts martial that have been created by Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff.

Bacarro refused to identify the soldiers involved, saying that, “They are still innocent otherwise proven guilty.”

But Bacarro said the military personnel and officers have long been in custody or restriction since the cases were filed in the civil courts.

“He [Esperon] has directed the conduct of pretrial investigation on the cases that are now pending before the civil courts,” said Bacarro.

“If the pretrial investigation later on determines that there is prima facie evidence that would really merit the conduct of general court martial proceedings, then these five new courts will be trying these cases,” he added.

Bacarro clarified that these cases are all human rights-related, but not necessarily killings.

Asked if the officers linked to the disappearance of agriculturist Jonas Burgos, son of press freedom icon Jose Burgos Jr., are included in the pretrial investigation, Bacarro said: “As to specific individuals, all specific cases, I’m not in a position to disclose kung sino-sino ang mga ito, but definitely the guidance that everybody who has a case filed . . .  civil courts would be subjected to pretrial investigations.”

Bacarro reiterated that the Armed Forces is not tolerating wrongdoings by its men, saying that the creation of the military courts and the conduct of the pretrial investigation against those allegedly involved in human-rights violations is a manifestation that its leadership is really bent on resolving these cases and punishing those who committed the crime.

“The [military] institution as a whole does not commit human-rights violations. It is not the policy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do that. That is the very intent of this . . . the creation of the five general courts martial,” Bacarro said.

Bacarro said families or relatives of victims of human-rights abuses by soldiers can go straight to the military to initiate court-martial proceedings. He assured that investigations would be pursued on their complaints “if it is warranted.”

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Party-list solon hits ‘name and shame’ 

By Fernan Marasigan

Reporter 

WHILE many congressmen welcomed the planned “name and shame” campaign against frequent absentees in the House of Representatives, a party-list representative is opposing the move, saying that legislators are mature and professional enough to know their duties and thus should not be subjected to humiliation.

Party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) said the campaign of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. is uncalled for, saying being the “father” of the House of Representatives, he should not put to shame his “children.”

Villanueva, who was among the congressmen who almost had a perfect attendance during the 13th Congress, said that instead of implementing such a campaign, the House leadership should employ the incentives and disincentives to those religiously attending the session and those who are not.

“Bakit kailangang ipahiya? JDV [de Venecia] is the Speaker and the father to the House, bakit gusto niyang ipahiya ang mga anak niya?” Villanueva asked.

He said de Venecia should stop issuing “press releases” or statements that would be detrimental to the reforms he would want to implement in the House of Representatives.

An ally of de Venecia, Lakas Rep. Monico Puentevella of Bacolod City also opposed the move, saying that while the House leadership must try all ways and means to improve the image of the House of Representatives, that is not the way to do it.

“This is not the way to do it.  It’s more of quality time and not on quantity of attendance,” said Puentevella.

But Lakas Rep. Antonio Cuenco of Cebu City supported the plan, saying it would instill discipline among its members and promote better performance by the House.

Cuenco, chairman of the committee on foreign affairs, said the “name and shame” drive may be painful for the House members, but it is vital for the institution to become a truly performing Congress.

“We will certainly support Speaker Jose de Venecia on this form of reform in the House. It is sad and unfortunate that things have to come to this point, but we believe such reforms are necessary, that the House be more decisive in disciplining its ranks,” said Cuenco.

Cuenco expressed hope that lawmakers will be able to implement the “name and shame” plan that calls for the publication in newspapers of names of their truant colleagues, because it could be the best prescription to cure the absentee-lawmaking image of the House brought upon it by some of its errant members.

“We should start the 14th Congress on a good note by discouraging absenteeism. The sooner we implement the plan to publicly identify frequent absentees, the better, as it would demonstrate our serious intent to institute reforms in the House,” said Cuenco.

For his part, Lakas Rep. Prospero Nograles of Davao said the move of the leadership is a step in the right direction.

“And we hope that fewer congressmen will absent themselves from here on,” Nograles said.

Earlier, de Venecia and Majority Leader Arthur Defensor disclosed a plan to periodically buy one-fourth page advertisements in newspapers where they can list down the names of frequent absentee lawmakers. 

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Nine soldiers were killed while two others were wounded in an ambush staged by the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu on Thursday.

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has invited the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and the entire broadcast industry to take part in formulating the guidelines for digital and mobile television services.

THE heavy downpour has helped improve the water levels at the National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) multipurpose dams to nearly reach the rule curve or ideal volume.

A GROUP of tribesmen opposed to mining on Thursday reiterated its call to scrap the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

THE ratification hearings on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) will focus on at least four issues: free trade, the entry of Filipino workers in Japan, environmental impact and its effect on existing agreements under the World Trade Organization, Sen. Mar Roxas II said on Thursday.

APPARENTLY pressured by accusations that it is involved in extrajudicial killings, which it repeatedly denied, the Armed Forces has started pre-trial investigation against personnel and officers accused of human-rights violations.

CABANATUAN CITY—The Philippines does not need climate change to get under water—just one typhoon and vast areas go under, and in the case of Chedeng, the weather disturbance that just left the country, Central Luzon’s backbone Maharlika Highway became impassable, jamming thousands of vehicles not only because of the water, but also because of the roadside trees toppled by high winds that blocked the highway.