Palace expects govt agencies to act on US human rights report

From GMA News (Apr 21): Palace expects govt agencies to act on US human rights report

Malacañang on Sunday said it expects the appropriate agencies to act on the report of the US State Department’s human rights country report indicating the Philippine government investigated and prosecuted only a limited number of reported rights abuses.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also admitted President Benigno Aquino III’s recent directives to uphold human rights may not have been reflected in this year’s report because they came out only in November and December 2012.

“We expect agencies who have jurisdiction over these subjects... will be taking the necessary steps as they deem fit in the light of these observations,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio.

She said Aquino’s administrative order to create an inter-agency committee on extra-judicial killings was issued only in November last year.

An act against enforced or involuntary disappearances was signed in December, she added.

“Medyo late na rin in the year na-issue (These were issued late in the past year),” she said.

“Hindi pa nararamdaman ang full effect ng pinirmahan ng Pangulong Aquino (The directives of Aquino in late 2012 may not have been immediately felt),” she added.

The US State Department’s human rights country report had indicated the Philippine government investigated and prosecuted only a limited number of reported human rights abuses.

It also cited persistent concerns about impunity.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/304891/news/nation/palace-expects-govt-agencies-to-act-on-us-human-rights-report