Amnesty International Press Release

Philippines: Growing number of political killings risks retaliatory spiral

Numbers of political killings in the Philippines are increasing for a second year, with at least 51 killings in the first six months of 2006 compared to 66 collated by Amnesty International in the whole of 2005. The leadership of the armed insurgency has threatened to form retaliatory assassination squads.

The killings follow a pattern of unidentified men shooting leftist party members before escaping on motorcycle and have taken place in the context of an intensified counter-insurgency operation. The Philippine government has failed to protect individuals, according to an Amnesty International report released today.

Read the press release in its entirety here.

Links:

Philippines: Political Killings, Human Rights and the Peace Process - Amnesty International