ILOILO CITY, Philippines, August 22, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) - The International People's Tribunal, set up by progressive Filipino and international organizations, has found Philippine President Gloria Arroyo guilty of "widespread" and "systematic" human rights violations.

The tribunal's judgment, handed out Friday, August 22, was reached after jurors came up with a guilty verdict "on the charges of human rights violations which also constitute as crimes against humanity, as proven by ample testimonial and documentary evidence adduced during the trial."

The jurors said the "crimes against humanity in the form of extrajudicial killings" were proven through the cases presented that included a massacre of a Muslim family, which triggered a firefight in February this year in Sulu province between government soldiers and Moro fighters.

The cases filed before the tribunal included extra-judicial killings or "summary executions," assassinations, massacre, disappearances, torture, forced evacuation and displacement, illegal arrest and detention, and other violations constituting crimes against humanity.

A total of 4,207 cases of human rights violations, affecting 232,796 individuals, 24,299 families and 237 communities, committed by the Arroyo regime from
January 2001 to June 2005 were presented to the trial attended by some 1,500 people at the University of the Philippines Film Center.

The three-member tribunal was composed of American law professor and Nelson Mandela's lawyer, Lennox Hinds, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Irene Fernandez of Malaysia and lawyer Hakan Karakus of Turkey, who is the International Association of People's Lawyers president.

The college of jurors was composed of 11 lawyers, human rights advocates and educators from Belgium, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, United States,
Canada and Turkey.

Filipino lawyer Romeo Capulong, who served as chief of people's prosecutors explained that the tribunal has the mandate, authority and legitimacy to try Arroyo and (US President George W.) Bush stemming from the fact that in the Philippines "reign of terror has replaced the rule of law", and can therefore serve as the highest moral authority on behalf of victims of human rights violations."

The tribunal serves as an alternative forum where victims of crimes can seek redress for legitimate grievances and immediate actions and remedies can be proposed. As such, its judgment is not binding.

Lawyer Ulka Ulama, witness for Sulu, is sworn in before giving his testimony. (Photo courtesy of Aubrey Makilan)

Belgian lawyer Selma Benkhelija told IOL Monday, August 22, "The worst violations, such as summary executions and enforced disappearances were deliberately and systematically done by state armed forces against legitimate political dissent, this is a serious crime against humanity which merits serious penalties in the international tribunals."

"The human rights situation in the Philippines has reached alarming proportions which deserves international attention," Barbara Waldern, a human rights advocate from Canada, told IOL Monday.

She added the pending impeachment proceedings against Arroyo before the Philippine Congress "will send a signal to all countries in the world that the head of state could be indicted for acquiescence and abetting massive human rights abuses by state security forces."

The International People's Tribunal capped the International Solidarity Mission held from August 14, 2005, which was joined by some 85 foreign delegates and local groups like New Patriotic Alliance, Bayan Muna, Promotion of Church People's Response, and Moro Christian People's Alliance.

The International Solidarity Mission's Moro Team released the result of its investigation last Thursday, August 18, saying the Philippine government continues to violate the Bangsamoro's human rights and is treating them like animals.

Arroyo, according to the tribunal, "forfeited any right or authority" to occupy the presidency and ordered her removal from office while "perpetually and absolutely" disqualifying her from holding any public.

It urged the international community to support the Filipino's struggle to oust Arroyo and her government "so that immediate measures beneficial to the Filipino people be implemented including purging the military and police of human rights violators, giving justice to victims of human rights violations and eradicating corruption."

They want the international community to exert pressure on Bush "to desist from interfering in the affairs of and committing acts of aggression and infringement of sovereignty against the Filipino people and other freedom-loving peoples worldwide" and oppose the presence of US troops in the Philippines.

The tribunal also urged Filipinos to file complaints with the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations Human Rights Committee
(UNHRC), the Organization of Islamic Countries and other bodies.