To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations her Department has (a) made to the Government of the Philippines and (b) received on extra-judicial killings of political activists; what discussions she has had with counterparts in the EU on human rights abuses in the Philippines; and if she will make a statement. (130733)

We continue to be concerned about extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. We have urged the Philippine Government to address the problem, including through the appropriate involvement of the international community. In this regard, we welcomed the visit by Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, to the Philippines in February and will encourage the Philippine Government to follow Professor Alston’s recommendations. In August 2006, President Arroyo appointed a special commission to investigate the killings. The Melo Commission, headed by ex-Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, concluded its investigations and produced a report of its findings in February. President Arroyo recently extended the tenure of the Melo Commission until June 2007, after which the Philippine Commission on Human Rights will investigate the issue further. President Arroyo has made a request to the EU to provide technical assistance for the investigation of extra-judicial killings. We will look at this positively. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received letters from members of the public and hon. Members, as well as some parliamentary questions, about extra-judicial killings. On 21 March, the UK raised the issue at a European Council working group meeting for Oceania and Asia affairs.