Two bastions of democracy, the United Nations and the United States of America, are both concerned about the extra-judicial killings of militants, agrarian leaders and media men (830) in the Philippines. This country is supposed to be the Citadel of Christianity in the Far East and a vibrant democracy in Asia that Washington used to be proud of.

Meantime, the International Press Institute (representing media as the fourth pillar of democracy) classified the Philippines as the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, next to war-torn Iraq. It was set to recently edit a documentary on media killings in the Philippines.

The uniform findings of these three objective and internationally influential groups establish the fact that there is something awfully wrong here. They can't possibly be three blind men leading each other to drown in the river.

The United Nations, of which the Philippines is a member-nation, attempts to put order into member countries whose governments are perceived to violate certain internationally accepted norms of conduct and sovereign behavior.

The United Nations thus sent Australian lawyer Philip Alston, official UN Rapporteur (for many years) for human rights and international organizations to look into the frightening number of "unexplained killings" in the country. That obviously merited the concerned attention of UN who sent its main man (Alston) (a law and economics expert) who taught Law in prestigious schools in Europe, Australia and the United States, including Harvard University. Alston has a doctorate in law from the University of California Berkeley Law School.

His credentials in his field is therefore impeccable and Alston is not "just a muchaco" of the UN who cannot speak in behalf of his institution as our pathetic justice secretary Raul Gonzales, in another excess of his diarrhea of the mouth, had ridiculed him to be.

We wonder if the honorable secretary of justice would have enough credentials to be a research mate in that venerable Government of Governments called the United Nations.

Nations who are part of the UN Human Rights Counsel, Alston had recommended the release of the report of the Melo Commission (a body created by GMA to investigate these killings) and for GMA to make sure those involved are prosecuted and the killings do not go unabated.

The Melo Report, that has been under wraps for some time now, stated that although the killings (attributed to the military) is not a matter of State Policy, there is circumstantial (rather than direct) evidence to link some rogue members of the military of the murderous activities. There is a direct pointing to the State to take responsibility for the resolution of the unexplained killings - regardless of who engineered them.

On the other hand, the US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney represents a nation who believes "the issue of human rights is critical in every country." Kenney expressed concern over the killings and enjoined government to prosecute those involved in these activities that have given the country a sore black eye abroad.

The report had singled out retired general Jovito Palparan and some "bad eggs" in the military to be suspects in the trade. Palparan had many times dismissed as sad but inevitable the "civilian collateral damage" in the anti-insurgency war.

A similar voice was echoed by Martial Law implementor Senator Juan Ponce Enrile who decried that those international bodies investigating human rights have not experienced "what it takes to run an anti-insurgency campaign." Nations, however, are expected to observe international standards of justice and respect for human rights, if they are to belong as faithful members of a collegial body like the United Nations.

The AFP had ducked the issue by saying that the Alston Report is done in a "state of denial" over the purge killings done by the NPAs on their enemies as well. That appear like begging the question because the UN is concerned over behavior of governments and government should put those who take the law into their hands by the ways of democracy, by the manner of lawfulness. To preserve democracy, governments must practice it.

Moreover, the existence of NPA purges does no invalidate the criminal aspect done on Filipinos by the rogue military group responsible for unexplained killings.

We sincerely urge the president on "act on these killings" not just because of the harmful propaganda effect it does no the electorate's decision making but the fact that ultimately, "the buck stops at the President's Office in Malacañang." She may not immediately pay its consequences in the short term - but there are international arbiters of law whose hands can become elongated long after a president's wake or term of office.

The Estate of Marcos had to pay millions of pesos to thousands of human right victims of Martial Law - twenty years after the Dictator fled the EDSA 1986 Revolt. The ruling of American jurisprudence was upheld by the precedent ruling on General Tomoyuki Yamashita of Japan who was convicted - not for giving direct orders - but for not trying to stop or solve the human rights violations during his wake - when he clearly had the power to do so.

German soldier criminals were convicted and lately Saddam Hussein was hanged for violations of internationally accepted rules of conduct on human rights - in peace and war.

GMA has everything to lose by sitting idly by while the killings grow in numbers. It is abundantly clear that failure to address these issues will drive away investors away from a country to be dubbed as "Asia's Wild Wild West." Likewise democratic nation-donors of the country will likely withhold donation and aid for a country that thrives on the scattered graves of its citizens. In the end, the victims will also organize their own "vigilance" units and retaliate in the same violent kind. It is only as matter of time that a full blown "war of revenge" will be waged.

It is going to cost this country - politically and economically. It would be totally destabilizing for the Arroyo Regime.

GMA, to her credit (and perhaps knowing what is good and bad for her) has ordered the Melo Commission report released, gave P25-Million to the Commission on Human Rights to further the investigation of the killings, ordered the Supreme Court to set up special courts to expedite related cases, asked the DOJ to improve the Witness Protection Plan and the prodded AFP/DND to update her on the issue of "command responsibility."

With local and international pressure pressing GMA like two flanks of tanks.

Be it that other peoples' heads roll, rather than hers.

That's a case for pragmatic political survival.