asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have made representations to the Government of the Philippines about the killings of Bishop Benjamin de Jesus at Jolo Cathedral in 1997, Reverend Reynaldo Roda in the church of Tabawan, Jolo, on 15 January 2008 and Reverend Felicisimo Catambis in Abuyog, Leyte, on 23 January 2008; and whether they have received assurances that those responsible will be brought to justice. [HL1781]

Although no representations have been made regarding the individual cases of Bishop Benjamin de Jesus, Reverend Reynaldo Roda or Reverend Felicisimo Catambis, our embassy in Manila and successive EU presidencies have stressed to the Philippine Government the importance of justice for all victims of violent deaths. In response to international pressure, President Arroyo has made a commitment to address both extra judicial killings and impunity and announced a number of measures intended to achieve this. The president requested technical assistance from the EU to support the Philippine Government's efforts to address the issue. An EU needs assessment mission, including a UK expert, visited the Philippines in June 2007. This was part-funded by the UK. The EU is currently developing a package of technical assistance based on the proposals and recommendations in the mission's reports.