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The palace finally released the MELO report today, and I’ve only skimmed through it. I’ll read it in full tomorrow, but you can view and download it here.

Melo Report (PDF)

Download Melo Report (Word Document)

Here’s some interesting excerpts along with the last few lines of the report.

it should be carefully noted that the victims, of which this Commission is concerned, were all noncombatants. They were not killed in armed clashes or engagements with the military. They were killed, it is said, by motorcycle riding hooded killers in assassination manner.

The commission goes on into undisputed facts:

The first undisputed fact is that there indeed have been extralegal killings, and that the victims were almost entirely members of activist groups or were media personnel.

The military and police authorities likewise agree with the activist groups that there was even a rise in the extrajudicial killings of activists and militants between 2001 and 2006 as compared to a similar period prior thereto.

It is undisputed that the killings subject of the investigation did not occur during military engagements or firefights. These were assassination or ambush type killings, professional hits carried out quickly and with the assailants escaping with impunity.

It is also undisputed that the PNP has not made much headway in solving these killings.

the circumstances clearly show that such killings of activists and media personnel is pursuant to an orchestrated plan by a group or sector with an interest in eliminating the victims, invariably activists and media personnel.

The military establishment itself acknowledges this, by attributing the rise in killings to a “purge” of ranks by the CPPNPA.

Gen. Razon admitted that TFU still cannot explain the reason for the increase in political killings.

TFU (Task Force USIG) did not investigate Gen. Palparan, nor was he asked to account for his statements.

TFU did not investigate higherranking military officials. Gen. Razon claimed that the PNP cannot go further than the suspect. If the Sergeant remains silent or refuses or fails to point to the involvement of a superior officer, the PNP cannot go higher. TFU pointed out that military operations are beyond the scope of the TFU. Since the military conducts its own operations. TFU investigated only four military personnel.

During the course of his testimony, Gen. Palparan confirmed making the following statements:

My order to my soldiers is that, if they are certain that there are armed rebels in the house or yard, shoot them. It will just be too bad if civilians are killed in the process. We are sorry if you are killed in the crossfire.

There would be some collateral damage, but it will be short and tolerable. The enemy would blow it up as a massive violation of human rights. But to me, it would just be necessary incidents.

Sorry nalang kung may madamay na civilian;… The death of civilians and local officials were ‘small sacrifices’ brought about by the military’s antiinsurgency campaign. – Philippine Daily Inquirer 12 September 2006

[T]hey cannot be stopped completely … the killings, I would say are necessary incidents in a conflict because they (referring to the rebels) are violent. It’s not necessary that the military alone should be blamed. We are armed, of course, and trained to confront and control violence. But other people whose lives are affected in these areas are also participating …

And More

General Palparan, clearly the man in the center of the maelstrom, admits to having uttered statements openly encouraging persons to perform extrajudicial killings against those suspected of being communists, albeit unarmed civilians. Worse, he was reported to have “expressed delight” at the disappearance of at least two persons, mere students, but who were suspected of being communist or activists.67 Among these inculpatory items are the following:

the Commission is not a court of law bridled with the strict rules on admissibility and weight of evidence. Thus, it can proceed with a certain degree of certitude in stating that, in all probability, some elements in the military, among whom is suspected to be General Palparan, are responsible for the recent killings of activists.

While communist insurgency must be addressed, the fight against it must not be at the expense of the Constitution and the laws of the nation, and it hardly needs emphasizing, not at the expense of innocent civilians. The armed forces is not a state within a state, nor are its members outside the ambit of the Constitution or of the rule of law. Ours is a government of laws, not of men. On the pervading reach of the rule of law, a legal luminary opined thus:

Last lines of the Report

The military must match its strength with restraint, and the only special treatment the military will receive from this Commission, and before any inquiry for that matter, is that it will be judged with more stringent standards. As General Esperon said in regard to the courtmartial of some army and marine officers, military justice is harsh and strict. Truly, justice must be stern and exacting on the military because the military has great power, and with great power comes greater responsibility. As the Book of Wisdom states:

THE MIGHTY SHALL BE MIGHTILY PUT TO THE TEST

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