With the first activist murder few days after inauguration

“Pres. Aquino should better leave the wang-wang talk behind. Activists and journalists are being murdered despite the promises of the new government.” This was the statement of Terry Ridon, national chairperson of the League of Filipino Students, the LFS expressed doubts as to the resolve of the Aquino government in stopping and reversing the culture of impunity and political killings that marked the nine-year human rights record of the Arroyo government.

Today, a leader of Bayan Muna in Aklan, Fernando Baldomero had been murdered by suspected elements of the military.

During the Arroyo administration, such execution-style killings had been repeated all over the country against activist leaders and supporters.

Ridon said that Aquino never concretely addressed human rights and political killings in his policy statements in the last few days, with much Palace attention being devoted to the problem of ‘wang-wangs’.

Human rights organizations and student groups like the LFS had laid the blame for the political killings on the continued operation of the AFP’s counter-insurgency plan, Oplan Bantay Laya II, which allegedly targets for liquidation or disappearance leaders and members of people’s organizations, NGOs, student councils, lawyers, professionals, all of whom have been critical of policies of the Arroyo administration.

“It is most disturbing that after the euphoria of the people in their aspirations for genuine change, such atrocities continue under the new government. We call on Pres. Aquino to abandon Oplan Bantay Laya II now,” Ridon said.