Courtesy Philippines Daily Inquirer: MANILA, Philippines–The New York-based Human Rights Group on Monday lamented that President Aquino’s valiant promises to stem the rampant violation of human rights have remained just that, and said it could show its resolve by arresting a high ranking retired military officer accused of kidnapping militant students.

After a year and a half in office, the Aquino administration made little progress in addressing impunity, with extrajudicial killings still taking place, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its World Report 2012 where it assessed various countries’ achievements, or lack thereof, in protecting human rights.

HRW also said the government failed to acknowledge the involvement of security forces in those crimes. It added that the government should now make these forces accountable for their role in killings, and should disable abusive paramilitary forces as well.

At the same time, the group called on the administration to arrest retired Major General Jovito Palparan, who stands accused of kidnapping two militant University of the Philippines students. Palparan is the highest-ranking military officer to be charged for human rights abuses since the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

“The arrest and prosecution of Palparan would be the most significant move against impunity for military abuses in the last decade,” HRW deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson said in a separate statement.

“But the government should be more proactive in investigating killings and torture, arresting suspects, and vigorously prosecuting them,” she added.

More: