[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22730]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    2005 COUNTRY REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES IN THE PHILIPPINES

  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I rise today to express my deep distress 
about the human rights violations reportedly committed in the 
Philippines. The U.S. Department of State's 2005 Country Report on 
Human Rights Practices in the Philippines, released in March 2006, is a 
very troubling account and, at times, a cynical report on the current 
state of Philippine human rights problems. The Report cites the 
Philippine National Police as the worst abuser of human rights in the 
country, and it describes numerous violations, including extrajudicial 
killings, disappearances, and physical abuse of suspects and detainees. 
It cites instances of torture, arbitrary arrests, trafficking of 
persons, and harassment of human rights personnel and political 
activists.
  In light of the report's troubling findings, I respectfully urge my 
colleagues to review this document and recognize the significance of 
these extremely serious transgressions.

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