Rights group urged military informants: Testify against masterminds of killings

The human rights group Karapatan urged military informants who bared military covert operations to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, to testify against their superiors who ordered the extrajudicial killings of activists.

Ruth Cervantes, Karapatan Public Information said, “We exhort them to walk the path of justice by testifying against those who masterminded the extrajudicial killings of civilians.”

The human rights group Karapatan urged military informants who bared military covert operations to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, to testify against their superiors who ordered the extrajudicial killings of activists.

Ruth Cervantes, Karapatan Public Information said, “We exhort them to walk the path of justice by testifying against those who masterminded the extrajudicial killings of civilians.”

Karapatan lauded the courage of the newspaper’s military source for confirming the truth about the complicity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the extrajudicial killings. 

“These soldiers would serve the nation well if they will turn a new leaf and help in the pursuit of justice while they still have the chance,” adding that “their obligation is to the country, not to the US government, Mrs. Arroyo, Gen. Esperon.” Cervantes said.

Cervantes also said that “The exposé disproves the AFP’s claim that military responsibility in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances is but a propaganda war.  People’s lives have been claimed and this dirty war has inflicted suffering on many families.”

The human rights group expressed hope that by shedding light on crimes committed by state security forces, reports such as PDI’s special investigative report, would be instrumental in the dismantling of military death squads and the abrogation of Oplan Bantay Laya, a rallying call in national and international campaigns to stop the killings.###