International tribunal to hold US-Arroyo regime accountable for witnesses' death

The Hague, The Netherlands – "If anything happens to any of the
witnesses that testified in this Tribunal, we shall hold the Arroyo
government responsible." Thus said Professor François Houtart,
President of the Jury of the Permanent People's Tribunal, at the
conclusion of public hearings Friday. The Tribunal was holding
sessions in the Hague to try the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo government,
the George W. Bush government and their accomplices, for gross
violations of human rights, economic and social rights and
transgression of the national sovereignty of the Filipino people.

Earlier, Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General of Karapatan
(Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights) informed the
tribunal that a witness who testified before the UN Special Rapporteur
for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions was killed
recently. Peasant leader and Bayan Muna partylist official Siche
Gandinao, provided testimony to Prof. Philip Alston regarding the
summary execution of her father-in-law Daki Gandinao. The elder
Gandinao was Provincial Coordinator of Bayan Muna in Misamis Oriental.

Prof. Houtart thanked all those who testified before the tribunal for
their courage. He said that he was very much aware that the witnesses
were doing so at the risk to their lives.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN, New Patriotic Alliance), Hustisya,
Karapatan, the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, the United Church of Christ
in the Philippines, and other Philippine organizations brought suit
against the US-backed Arroyo regime before the Tribunal because of
their belief that justice for the victims cannot be achieved within
the country's judicial system. Witnesses are afraid to come out in the
open because of the climate of impunity obtaining in the country and
the threats and intimidation that would-be witnesses get from the
military and police.

Members of the Jury were yesterday in a closed-door session to
deliberate on a verdict. The Jury will read out its verdict on Sunday,
25 March, 2:00pm at the Pax Christikerk in The Hague, The Netherlands.
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FOR REFERENCE:

Angelica M. Gonzales, MD
Executive Director
International Coordinating Secretariat
Permanent Peoples' Tribunal
Second Session on the Philippines
secretariat@philippinetribunal.org
www.philippinetribunal.org