The Supreme Court has designated three regional trial courts in of Bacolod and Dumaguete cities to handle extra-judicial killings involving militant activists and members of the media in Negros island.

These are Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 48 of Judge Gorgonio Ybañez in Negros Occidental, and Dumaguete RTC Branches 34 and 38 in Oriental Negros presided over by Judges Rosendo Bandal and Teresita Galanida, respectively.

Chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing of the Commission on Human Rights who met with Bacolod-based CHR personnel Saturday, said she was informed by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales of the designation of government prosecutors and special courts for human rights cases in Negros.

Quisumbing said she has been pushing for the designation of special prosecutors and courts for human rights cases.

This was after United Nation Rapporteur Philip Alston the Melo Commission blamed the military for the murder of more than 800 militant activists and journalists in the country, as claimed by human rights group, Karapatan.

Quisumbing said CHR records showed that they are very many human rights cases handled by their investigators, compared to other provinces in the country. The Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade reported having documented 43 cases of summary executions allegedly perpetrated by the New People's Army in Negros, since 2005.

Families of the victims asked the Melo Commission during its marathon hearing on the killings of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Negros, to also investigate atrocities committed by insurgents.

The Supreme Court also issued guidelines for determining whether or not the crime is a political killing. Judgement will be rendered within 30 days upon submission of cases and postponements are prohibited except for clearly meritorious reasons, among others.

Chief Supt. Geary Barias, Task Force USIG chief, said the creation of 99 special courts for extra-judicial killings will hasten the resolution of cases of extra-judicial killings.

As for the offer of assistance by the United States government in solving the cases of slain militants, activists, journalists and government officials, Barias, former provincial police director of Negros Occidental, said the PNP is now forming a committee to study the areas of cooperation and assistance.

He said the offer of the US Embassy for assistance will serve as a capacity-building measure and boost the efforts of Task Force USIG to investigate and prosecute cases.*GPB

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