Philippine killings probe blames military

MANILA, Jan 30 (Reuters) Philippine soldiers have murdered hundreds of leftwing activists since 2001 and their commanding officers should be held responsible, the head of an inquiry commission said today.

Jose Melo, a retired Supreme Court justice, told Reuters that ''elements in the military'' were behind the fatal shooting of hundreds of leftwing activists, community workers and farmers.

''It's a small group in the military who are doing these things with the tolerance of some commanders, but it is not the policy of the entire armed forces of the Philippines,'' he said.

The military, which has a chequered history of getting involved in politics, said it was aware that some soldiers were involved in the killings and vowed that those responsible would be dealt with.

''We acknowledge that some members of the armed forces of the Philippines have been involved in the deaths of some members of militant organisations but we definitely do not condone these,'' military chief Gen Hermogenes Esperon said.

''In fact, more than condemning these acts, we have taken action to investigate them in order to prosecute those who are responsible.

''We will leave no stone unturned in our investigation and we will spare no one, regardless of rank or position. The armed forces of the Philippines assures the public that it does not tolerate nor condone human rights violations.'' Disgruntled officers have been involved in more than a dozen coup plots since the ouster of military-backed dictator Ferdinand Mercos in 1986.

Current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in 2001 when the military chief withdrew support for her predecessor Joseph Estrada, now on trial for plunder.

Arroyo appointed Melo to lead an inquiry into the murders last year after rights groups, including Amnesty International, said the series of killings of political activists could be linked to some members of the security forces.

Melo said he would present his report to Arroyo later today.

The former judge recommended that commanding officers face military tribunals for extrajudicial killings in their areas.

''They should have known what was happening and they just kept silent,'' he said.

Leftwing groups said the report was a whitewash.

''It has been established by documentary evidence that there is a national policy sanctioning the killing of activists,''said Renato Reyes, general secretary of leftwing umbrella group Bayan.

''We have seen cabinet-level documents that show how these killings were sanctioned at the highest levels of office. The Melo commission had it wrong when it says the killings were perpetrated by soldiers who are merely unchecked by their superiors.'' JUSTICE WILL BE DONE The military and government have previously blamed communist rebels for the recent surge in killings, saying the New People's Army (NPA) was purging its ranks as it did in the 1980s.

The shootings, often carried out in daylight by masked gunmen on motorbikes, have continued into 2007. Many of the victims were members of organisations the military views as fronts for the NPA.

The Philippines, also fighting Muslim insurgencies, has been battling the NPA since 1969 in a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people. Arroyo declared an ''all out war'' on the communist insurgents last year.

Local human rights group Karapatan has said more than 700 leftist activists, farmers, community organisers and journalists have been killed since Arroyo came to power in 2001.

Asked how many of the murders were carried out by soldiers, Melo said: ''Most of them''.

He told a local newspaper that some of the killings were attributed to politicians and some to the security guards of landlords.

Leftwing groups have said a man they call ''The Butcher'', retired major general Jovito Palparan, was responsible for many of the killings.

Palparan has previously denied the charges. today, he told Reuters: ''To me it (the report) is just propaganda. As far as I'm concerned, my conscience is clear.'' REUTERS PB ND1306