Democracy in its simplest and broadest sense is a political system wherein government power is legitimized through the consent of the governed. Consent is expressed in a variety of forms, including annual election of government leaders and citizen participation in governing processes. Ideally consent through the electoral process presupposes that candidates are selected by an informed and educated electorate based on issues and platforms addressing the concerns of the general public.

Paris-Manila, 13 March 2007 - The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), its member organization in the Philippines, express their deep concern about the assassination of the witness of an extrajudicial killing, who had submitted her testimony to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings on the occasion of his visit to the Philippines, last month.

The following is the statement of Professor Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

I have spent the past ten days in the Philippines at the invitation of the Government in order to inquire into the phenomenon of extrajudicial executions. I am very grateful to the Government for the unqualified cooperation extended to me. During my stay here I have met with virtually all of the relevant senior officials of Government. They include the President, the Executive Secretary, the National Security Adviser, the Secretaries for Defense, Justice, DILG and the Peace Process. I have also met with a significant number of members of Congress on different sides of the political spectrum, the Chief Justice, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Chair of the Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman, the members of both sides of the Joint Monitoring Committee, and representatives of the MNLF and MILF. Of particular relevance to my specific concerns, I also met with Task Force Usig, and with the Melo Commission, and I have received the complete dossier compiled by TF Usig, as well as the report of the Melo Commission, and the responses to its findings by the AFP and by retired Maj-Gen Palparan. I have also visited Baguio and Davao and met with the regional Human Rights Commission offices, local PNP and AFP commanders, and the Mayor of Davao, among others.