Puno hails Gaa’s pro-active drive

November 14, 2007  --  Got something to say?
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DILG Secretary Puno
MANILA Malacanang has hailed the United States Senates recent vote to increase to $60 million Washingtons military and economic aid to the Philippines was a virtual vote of confidence on the Arroyo administration and a setback to leftist groups who wanted it reduced because of human rights violations.

In announcing the US Senate vote, Interior Secretary and Malacanang political adviser Ronaldo Puno Nov. 4 lavishly praised Philippine Ambassador Willy C. Gaa in Washington D.C. for his aggressive and pro-active drive on Capitol Hill that resulted in this show of support by American lawmakers.

Puno said the increase to $60-million Washingtons military and economic aid to the Philippine government next year is a virtual vote of confidence by US legislators to the Arroyo government for addressing the issue of unexplained killings in the country.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, who was in New York Nov. 5, reported to President Arroyo that there was no precondition in the Senate approval of the aid bill for the Philippines. In a statement released in Manila, Romulo expressed the appreciation of the Philippine government for the decision of the US Senate to increase funding for military and economic assistance to the Philippines which further reinforces the already strong partnership between the two governments.

Romulo however did not echo Interior Secretary Ronaldo Punos declaration that the Senate vote was a repudiation of the activist groups who wanted the US to reduce aid to the Philippines because of human rights violations.

Instead, Romulo said he appreciated the efforts of our friends in the US Congress to provide increased resources with which we can help secure our nation and build stronger foundations for growth and progress for our people.
Puno said the US Senate-approved allocations for the Philippines in the US governments appropriations bill for 2008 are higher by $14 million than the original budget proposals by the US State Department.

Puno added the approval marks a major setback for local leftwing anti-government lobby in the US Congress who wanted the US to cut aid to the Arroyo government. He said the Senate approved $30 million each in the Foreign Military Fund (FMF) and Economic Support Funds (ESF) outlays for the Philippines.

Puno pointed out that Philippine Embassy officials in Washington, led by Ambassador Willy Gaa, should be credited for the aggressive and pro-active drive on Capitol Hill that resulted in this show of support by American lawmakers.
Gaa has been meeting and holding dialogues with US legislators, giving them the true picture with regard to the human rights situation in the country, and had apprised them of President Arroyos initiatives to put an end to the unexplained killings.

Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, Puno said the US Senate last month voted 81-12 with 7 abstentions to increase next years FMF for the Philippines to $30 million, higher than the $20 million proposed by the State Department.

The ESF was raised to $30 million as against the original request of $26 million. Puno also said that in an apparent recognition of the initial efforts by the Arroyo government to address the issue of unexplained killings, the US Senate also voted to set aside another $2 million outlay for the Philippines, to be released in 2008, subject to the progress of such official initiatives in getting to the bottom of these slayings.

In mounting such an aggressive and pro-active drive, Ambassador Gaa and the rest of our embassy officials have apparently made significant headway in putting across to American senators and representatives that contrary to the vicious disinformation campaign being waged by leftist organizations, the real human-rights situation in the Philippines is totally different from the one being hyped by these critics here and abroad, and that President Arroyo has actually been mounting decisive steps to address these killings,” Puno said.

Puno noted that the ghastly scenario of supposedly state-sanctioned killings of political dissidents, which Philippine-based leftist groups and their foreign allies have tried to present before the US Congress, had been debunked by the findings of the Melo Commission that there was no direct evidence” linking the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or Malacaang to the killings of political activists.

There is no official or sanctioned policy on the part of the military or its civilian superiors to resort to what other countries euphemistically call alternative procedures,meaning illegal liquidations, said the Melo Commission in its report.
Puno pointed out that no less than Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights who visited the country earlier this year to look into the unexplained killings, had recognized the independence of the Melo Commission and even cited Mrs. Arroyo for her governments unqualified cooperation and for showing good faith? in creating a five-member probe body.

Far from being a full indictment of the government and the military, as what the leftist groups have tried to portray, the subsequent Alston report had actually recognized the Arroyo administrations willingness to permit outside scrutiny, and a very welcome preparedness to engage on this issue,” Puno added.

But it will be remembered that Alston, in his departure, said that the military is in a state of denial over the unexplained killings of militant and peasant leaders as well as the enforced disappearances of rights activists.

Romulo said after his meeting with Ambassador Gaa in New York, that the aid bill will still be taken up by the House and Senate conference committee which is expected to meet soon to reconcile the differences in the two versions of the bill before it is sent to President Bush for signature.

The approved Senate version of the bill allocates $30 million in Economic Romulo said that over and above the increased military and economic aid proposal, the Senate provided an additional $2 million outlay for FMS if the US State Department reports that three conditions have been met. These are that the Philippine Government is implementing the recommendations of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions; the Philippine Government is implementing a policy of promoting military personnel who demonstrate professionalism and respect for human rights, and is investigating and prosecuting military personnel and others who have been credibly alleged to have committed extrajudicial executions or other violations of human rights; and the Philippine military is not engaging in acts of intimidation or violence against members of legal organizations who advocate for human rights.

Romulo said the three requirements for us to be given this additional amount are already part of our overall and comprehensive approach to the issue of politically-motivated killings,” he said.

Romulo added that US assistance has helped the Philippines on many fronts and has made cooperation and partnership stronger over the years, stressing this is funding that has been crucial to the many successes which the Philippines has achieved in fighting terror, building peace and creating growth and progress, particularly in the Southern Philippines.”
This is funding that has been central to uprooting terrorism by bringing in basic infrastructure, healthcare and education to affected areas. This is funding that has allowed our partnership with the United States to break new ground in making our country and our region safer from the threat of terror. This is funding that has saved lives and that has brought renewed hopes of lasting peace and meaningful progress to thousands,” the Secretary said.

The Philippine governments resolve to defeat this scourge is clear: 76 cases are on trial; 33 cases are being prepared for prosecution; and six persons including men in uniform, have been convicted,” according to Romulo.

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