 In support of the motion tabled today by Bloc Quebecois' Foreign Affairs critique Francine Lalonde, the Stop the Killings Campaign is strongly urging the Government of Canada to apply pressure on Philippine President Gloria Macapalgal-Arroyo to take concrete action to end the political assassinations and impunity in the Philippines. The party in government, the Conservatives, as well as the New Democratic Party supported the motion.
"It is imperative that the Canadian government condemn these killings, and take action to ensure that Canadian tax dollars are not complicit in funding the political assassinations and human rights violations perpetrated by the Philippine government," says Bern Jagunos, Stop the Killings Campaign organizer and United Church Programme Coordinator for East Asia and the Philippines.
Madame Lalonde's motion is in response to the serious deterioration of the human rights situation in the Philippines following President Macapalgal-Arroyo's election in 2001, and the systematic political assassinations of more than 850 human rights workers, lawyers, journalists, church workers, labour organizers, peasant leaders, and leaders of political organizations that have since ensued. The motion noted reports issued by Amnesty International, the Melo Commission in the Philippines, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Arbitrary and Summary killings, all of which link these political killings to the Philippine military.
Foreign Affairs officials and Members of Parliament, including Madame Lalonde, met with a delegation of Philippine church and human rights leaders in March 2007. These leaders called on Canada to cease supporting the Philippine government in the areas of bilateral aid, trade and investment, military and security cooperation.
As stated in Madame Lalonde's motion, Canada has a great deal of leverage to press the Philippine Government to take action and remedy the situation "given that Canada provides assistance to the Philippines." CIDA's current annual disbursement to the Philippines is approximately CAD $25 million, and there is roughly CAD $1.5 billion in bilateral trade between Canada and the Philippines every year.
The urgency of the action in Madame Lalonde's motion is highlighted by daily reports from the Philippines documenting an escalation of political killings, abductions, arbitrary arrests, detentions and other human rights violations in the run up to the election scheduled for May 14 of this year. Human rights groups attribute this escalation to a campaign of intimidation by the Philippine military.
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For more information, please contact Stop the Killings Campaign Coalition:
Bern Jagunos (English media contact)
United Church Programme Coordinator for East Asia and the Philippines
Phone: 416.231.7680, ext. 4077 Email: bjagunos@united-church.ca
Dominique Caouette (French media contact)
Département de science politique, Université de Montréal
Tél: 514.343.7069 Courriel: dominique.caouette@umontreal.ca
Stop the Killings Campaign is a coalition of the following Canadian Churches, non-governmental organizations and solidarity groups:
AgroPaix
Development and Peace
Anglican Church of Canada
KAIROS
Beaconsfield United Church
Ontario Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
Canadian Advocacy Group on the Philippines
Primate's World Relief and Development Fund
Center for Philippine Concerns
Philippine Solidarity Group-Toronto
Chaire d'études asiatiques - Université de Montréal
The United Church of Canada
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